
Glass, 
Book_ 



POAVER WITH GOD 



AND 



'VT'iTs: n^v^Eisr. 



BY 



REV. JOHN LEyiNGTON. 



But ye shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you.— 
Acts i, 8. 

But the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in 
my name, he shall teach you all things. — John xiv, 26. 

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak, 
with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.— Acts ii, 4. 

But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the 
power of God, and the wisdom of God. — 1 Cor. i, 24. 

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given 
unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, &c.— Matt, xxviii, 18. 



METHODIST BOOK ROOM, No. 1018 ARCH STREET. 
S. W. THOMAS, Agent. 

1868. 



fl\ 






Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1868, by Rev. JOHN 
LEVINGTON, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the East- 
ern District of Pennsylvania. 



Stereotyped and Printed by Merrihew & Son, 243 Arch st., Philada. 



OOI^TEI^TS. 



CHAPTER I. 



On power in general. Power can only be discovered ia the 
phenomena^ ov facts, resulting therefrom — The existence of the 
power is as certain as is the existence of the phenomena re- 
sulting therefrom — In every system there must be a grand 
central power, or primary cause of motion — The way to dis- 
cover where and what this power is — Various conjectures as 
to what the peculiar power of Methodism is, are shown to be 
unsatisfactory — The advantages of knowing what, and where, 
this peculiar power is — The advantages of the method here 
adopted for that purpose— Sources from which facts shall be 
taken*in support of the position — The grand errors which 
exclude the conditions of this power shall be exposed, ... 15 

CHAPTER 11. 

Facts of Methodist history down to the conversion of John 
and Charles Wesley — The poetry of Samuel Wesley and his 
sons — Mrs. Wesley's Academy — Her method of teaching, and 
its results — The burning of the Rectory and the narrow escape 
of John — The three sons sent to higher schools, and John and 
Charles finally to Oxford — The society at Oxford called the 
*' Holy Club" — The voyage of John and Charles to America, 
and their labors there — Their return to England — Very inter- 
resting particulars — The first and many succeeding interviews 
with Peter Bohler — A minute account of their convictions and 
painful struggles -, and, finally, of their conversion — The pecu- 
liar power is obtained, and begins to manifest itself, .... 22 

3 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER III. 



AYhitefield's Conversion — His first Sermon and its efi'ects — Pro- 
vidential preparations for the development of the power — 
Whitefield in America, J. Wesley in Germany, and Charles 
Wesley in England — They again meet in London, and with 
about sixty other persons have a Lovefeast, and a baptism of 
the Spirit — Wonderful developments of the power in London 
and Bristol— The first Circuit— The first Methodist Church- 
Numerous incidents, extraordinary and interesting — The new 
way works so weh the old parish plan is abandoned — John 
Wesley claims the world for his parish — Summing up— The 
conditions of power are specified in nine particulars — The 
sum; doctrine, experience, and practice. These particulars 
are not peculiar to the minister; they are essential to the 
Christian character — ;An interesting sketch of the life of John 
Nelson is given in support of the argument. Eor the same 
purpose, facts are now adduced from the experience of Luther 
and the history of his times — Finally, facts are adduced from 
Apostolic times — Paul's experience is shown to be essentially 
one with those previously given, 64 

CHAPTER IV. 

Between the position specified, and that of the Pharisee, there 
is no medium — Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians, are pre- 
sented in Scripture as representative classes of character, and 
are, as they ever have been, the grand enemies of Christi- 
anity — Pharisaism is fully investigated, by reference to Scrip- 
ture and History — The principle upon which Pharisaism rests, 
is that of human merit; that upon which Christianity rests, is 
grace coming through the merit of the atonenent—A\\ who seek 
at all, rest their expectations upon one of these two principles 
— Grace smd faith go together, as do merit and works — Phari- 
saism embraces a great variety of characters, but they all rest 
upon the same principle, viz: merit; hence the appeal is to 
naked justice : while the Christian rests upon the atonement 
and expects all of mere grace — The Pharisee and the Publican 
are presented as the representatives of the two systems — Sal- 
vation by works was, and is, an eternal impossibility — The 
transition from Pharisaism to Sadducism is easy and frequent, 
and, to some extent, inevitable — Sadducean history fully ex- 



CONTENTS. 5 

arained, and Sadducean character, ancient and modern, care- 
fully delineated ; and its evil tendencies exposed — It is not 
possible for those who think, to rest in Pharisaism; hence, 
those who think, either fall back upon Bible truth, or pass 
to Sadducism, and thence to all kinds of skepticism — An 
interesting account and thrilling description of Herodians, 
ancient and modern — These three systems concentrated, and 
formed that horrible thing called Popery — How saved from all 
these errors, 134 

CHAPTER V. 

The Nature, and Necessity/, of Christian Progression. 

In support of this proposition tlie unchangeableness of God, and 
the essential activity of mind are referred to — Progression or 
retrogression inevitable — The word progress furnishes Bunyan 
with both the title and theme of his remarkable book — This 
idea runs through all the teachings of tlie bible — Many authors 
are quoted in support of this proposition, and many arguments 
advanced — Many illustrations are given, together with criti- 
cisms on the original, 175 

CHAPTER VI. 

Nature of Christian progression — Meaning of the word apsrriv, 
courage. The command and promise of God are essential to 
Christian courage, and this courage is essential to Christian 
progression — Interesting examples are given, as Daniel and 
his three companions; and David slaying Goliath; Luther, 
also, and many oth^r men of courage are noticed — This cour- 
age can only exist in connection with Christian faith — It does 
not precede, but results from faith— Faith and courage are 
specially necessary for the work of the minister of Jesus, . . 195 

CHAPTER VII. 

Add knowledge — This is essential to the development of the pre- 
ceding graces — How these graces mutually increase each other 
— Luther, Zwingle and others, are produced as examples — 
Consequences of not adding knowledge as specified, specially 
in the case of Ministers, 224 



6 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Add temperance. Erroneous views exposed, and the meaning of 
the word cyKparcia given — Christian temperance is dwelt upon 
at great length, and its nature and extent specified — Mr. 
Wesley's definition and views of temperance — Scripture 
teachings on this subject — Erroneous views farther exposed- 
Defects of modern temperance lectures, and temperance move- 
ments — It was by not adding temperance that Solomon and 
multitudes of others were ruined — It was by not adding tem- 
perance that the primitive churches were ruined, and the dark 
ages brought on — The activity essential to the Christian char- 
acter will lead to ruin if temperance does not keep pace with it, 231 

CHAPTER IX. 

Add patience. This is shown to be absolutely necessary to 
Christian progress : for, the more Christian activities abound, 
the more is patience rendered necessary — The peculiar work 
of patience at different periods in the Christian life — No other 
grace can take its place and do its work — Sometimes one grace 
must take the lead, sometimes another — Judgment must lead 
up first one, and then another, according to circumstances ; as 
an experienced General will lead up to the front first one divi- 
sion, and then another, according to the necessities of the oc- 
casion — Meaning of the word viroyievo) is given — It always 
springs from, and is supported by faith, as are all the Chris- 
tian graces — It is distinguished from stoicism, and from the 
natural power of endurance as seen in the camel or the ox, . 252 

CHAPTER X. 

Add Godliness. Both action, and inaction, may result either 
from knowledge or ignorance. Hence, there may be some- 
thing very like courage, or patience, when there is no Grodli- 
ness — Godliness results from a knowledge of God, and faith in 
God — Godliness consists in doing and suffering in the spirit 
of devo.tion to God. In other words, doing because God has 
commanded, or not doing, because he has forbidden — Calmet's 
definition of Godliness — Godliness in practice, is to imitate 
God in every thing — Godliness in character, is to be like God 
— svaspeia always, has reference to God — Parkhurst is quoted — 



CONTENTS. 7 

No act can be acceptable to God that is not Godly ; various 
arguments are employed to prove this; also, to show the neces- 
sity of adding Godliness just here, 263 

CHAPTER XL 

Add hrotherli/ Tcindness. Your duty to God will not substitute for 
your duty to your brother — God will not allow the creature to 
take his place, nor will he take the place of the creature — Love 
is varied both by its subject and object — God will not accept 
your gifts, if you have no gift for your brother — He who 
loveth God, loveth his brother also — He hates who does not 
love — Both the subject and object of this love must be a brother 
— The difference between kindness and brotherly kindness — A 
striking illustration — God alone can make a brotherhood, men 
may assume, or give the name, but they cannot impart what 
that name imports — Each preceding grace is essential to that 
which follows — This order must not be broken ; to progress, 
you must make each addition in its 2)lace, 270 

CHAPTER XIL 

Add Love, which takes a much wider range than brotherly kind- 
ness. How Peter was led to make this addition, and how his 
other graces were increased thereby — Had he not made this 
addition here, he would have progressed no further, but would 
have backslidden, as many do just at this point — A striking 
resemblance between Peter and John Wesley at this point — 
How they and others continued to be a power, while others 
ceased to be a power — There is nothing that will substitute for 
this love — A striking incident in illustration — The addition of 
love is shown to be absolutely necessary, 282 

CHAPTER XIIL 
All "these things" are to be "in you," and are the fruit of the 
Spirit — The grand distinction between a Christian and a 
Pharisee — They are all of grace, yet not without the willing 
co-operation of the subject — All these things being in you, 
they are to abound — Between this and retrogression there is 
no medium — Meaning of the words apyovq, and aKapirovg — 
These things being in you and abounding, you cannot possibly 
be inactive, and the action is of such a nature that fruitfulness 



8 CONTENTS. 

must be the result — This action is irresistible, bidding defiance 
to every opposing power — Hence all such Christians progress, 
and are a power — Idleness, inaction, or slothfulness, must re- 
sult from a want oi faith, courage, or love — Faith, courage, and 
love are the great moving powers ; those who have them are 
ready for every good work, making tents like Paul ,• or, like 
Jesus, preparing a breakfast for the hungry disciples by the 
sea-shore, when necessary — A country inhabited by such a 
people must be prosperous — All this is confirmed by the facts 
of history — A point of great importance — The Apostle con- 
nects all with the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ — A man 
may be idle and unfruitful in the knowledge of Plato, Socrates, 
and other men of fame, but not in the knowledge of our Lord 
Jesus Christ — To have life and power, we must be connected 
with Jesus in the way specified by the Apostle, for no other 
being has either life or power to give to man, 293 

CHAPTER XIV. 

To make the additions here specified, we must give all diligence, 
^^ these things'^ do not come by chance — Having shown the con- 
sequences of making these additions; and abounding, we are 
now shown the awful consequences of not doing so — All this 
is addressed to them that have obtained Apostolic faith — The 
distinctive characteristics of those who do, and of those who 
do not, make these additions — Some thoughts with regard to 
those who have backslidden as here stated — The infallibility 
of those who " do these things,^' 311 

CHAPTER XV.^ 
The final result of the progression — An ^'abundant entrance 
into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
Christ" — These wonderful words and thoughts could only 
come to us by inspiration — An attempt to explain the word 
7rXv(7t6jj — The question, shall all who finally reach heaven, 
have this a6*«?c?a7i^ entrance ministered unto them, is exam- 
ined, and answered in the negative — It is again shown why 
some are a power, while others are not — Even for the same 
reason that the glorified shine as stars of different magnitudes 
— The word of God holds out no encourgement, no reward, to 
idleness, 321 



IE"TEODUOTIOS". 



The author has long been convinced that if we would 
reason correctly, and order our affairs with discretion, 
we must make a good use ot facts. It was by care- 
fully and frequently considering the following facta 
that he was led to write what is contained in tb^ 
following pages. There have been men and churches of 
poiver, ivhile other men and churches were powerless; 
and men and churches who were once a poiver, have ceased 
to he a power ; and some of the latter have again become 
a power. These, we think, are facts which will not be 
disputed. Meditating upon these facts, and upon the 
interests involved, he became deeply convinced that a 
satisfactory solution of these facts would result in much 
good, especially when he considered the various and 
dangerous opinions which sometimes are entertained 
with regard to them. Nor was it long till he became 
convinced that these interesting phenomena might be 
satisfactorily accounted for ; nor was he less convinced 
that Scripture, experience, and the facts of history fur- 
(9) 



10 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 

nish ample material for this purpose ; and it is from 
these rich mines o? truth and /ac^ that he has gathered 
material for the purpose here specified. 

The power sought is that which in Scripture is 
called " Power with God and with men," and which, 
occasionally, we have denominated the peculiar power. 
This Scripture suggests the grand ideas sought. He 
who would have power with man, for good, must first 
^have power with God. It was to this end that God 
our Saviour became incarnate, — Emmanuel, " God 
with us." To obtain this power with God we must 
take hold of this Saviour, this Emmanuel, by praying 
faith, as Jacob did. Then, and not till then, will it be 
true of us, as it was of Jacob, — " As a prince hast thou 
power with God, and with men, and hast prevailed." 
This passage is singularly suggestive of the fundamental 
doctrines of the Christian system, and of the secret of 
Christian power. In this way the perishing sinner be- 
comes a prince, has power with God and with men, and 
prevails. Speaking of wrestling Jacob, Hosea says, 
"He wept and made supplication unto him." In this 
way Jacob obtained the powder ; and who ever obtained 
it in any other way ? Hence the name given to Jacob 
on this occasion is applied to all the people of God, 
because they all ivrestle, obtain the power, and prevail in 
the same way that Jacob did. 



INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 11 

Guided as here stated, the author claims to have 
shown how this power is obtaitied, retained, increased^ 
lost, regained. The chapters on Christian progression, 
more especially, show how it is retained and increased. 
And as men fail to obtain this power by falling into 
certain errors, which *errors are opposed to the great 
principles which are essential to this power, he has ex- 
posed and refuted those errors, so that all may know 
and avoid them. 

Although the subject here discussed takes a very 
wide range, and is of the most vital importance, the 
author has not found it necessary to give prominence 
to denominational peculiarities ; and this fact has not 
only given him pleasure, but also much hope wath re- 
gard to the extended usefulness of the book. It will 
be seen that the facts w^hich were considered necessary 
for his purpose are taken from the histories of the 
three great reformations, — viz., those of the first, six- 
teenth, and eighteenth centuries; by which the men 
and principles of power are seen to act in places, and 
times, wddely apart. And the principles which are 
claimed to be essential to this power are found in the 
difierent orthodox creeds ; hence, if those denominations 
(the Methodist included) have not the power specified, 
it is because they do not make a good use of their own 
principles. It follows, that both the nature of the 



12 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 

subject, and the way in which it is discussed, make 
this a book for all ; for while fundamental truths are 
explained, defended, and enforced, there is nothing, we 
think, that is at all calculated to give offence to any 
Christian denomination. True, Pharisaism and kindred 
errors are exposed and rejected with much earnestness, 
but surely the advocates of such errors have no claim 
to orthodoxy ; nor dare we either fear or flatter them. 
Indeed, he is their best friend who deals most faith- 
fully with their errors. It is also true that the author 
has quoted largely from the history of the reformation 
in which the Wesleys and Whitefield were prominent 
actors ; but he did so for obvious reasons, one of which 
is, he is specially anxious to hold his own denomination 
to first principles. Moreover, he has drawn from other 
sources a sufiicient amount of material to show that 
the principles and power sought are found in different 
ages, and in the different orthodox denominations. In 
this way he has endeavored to hold other denomina- 
tions, as well as his own, to first principles. 

Finally, the author begs to apprise the reader that, 
in the composition of the following pages, he has made 
no effort to please a certain taste, by a mere jmgle of 
words. On the contrary, he has simply aimed at ex- 
pressing useful thoughts, in suitable words. Indeed, 
he has been careful to avoid what are called big words, 



INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 13 

and every other thing that seemed calculated to en- 
feeble the noble language of his fathers. True, in 
quoting the Scriptures, he has occasionally appealed to 
the. original, but he has done so for reasons which, it is 
believed, will appear obvious to the thoughtful reader. 
And now he commits his little work to the care and 
disposal of Providence, praying that it may be made a 
blessing to the children of men, "so long as the moon 
endureth." 

JOHN LEYINGTON. 
February 14, 1868. 



CHAPTER I. 

On power in general. Power can only be discovered in the 
phenomena^ or facts^ resulting therefrom — The existence of 
the power is as certain as is the existence of ihQ phenomena 
resulting therefrom — In every system there must be a grand 
central power, or primary cause of motion — The way to dis- 
cover where and what this power is — Yarious conjectures as 
to what the peculiar power of Methodism is, are shown to be 
unsatisfactory — The advantages of knowing what, and where, 
this peculiar power is — The advantages of the method here 
adopted for that purpose — Sources from which facts shall be 
taken in support of the position — The grand errors which 
exclude the conditions of this power shall be exposed. 

This peculiar power, and the tacts resulting there- 
from, sustain -the relation of cause and effect. Hence 
the existence of the power is as certain as the existence 
of the facts. It is not more certain that the motions 
of the heavenly bodies result from an adequate power, 
than it is that the facts of Methodist history result from 
an adequate power. When I turn my eyes to the 
stellar systems, and behold the velocity with which 
those huge bodies move, I instantly conclude that there 
must be a power somewhere, a power adequate to the 
wonderful phenomena upon which I gaze, and which 

are evidently so many effects resulting from a given 
(15) 



16 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

cause. In like manner, when I turn to the facts of 
Methodist history, I as readily conclude, there must be a 
power somewhere, a power adequate to the wonderful 
phenomena which I here behold, and which are as 
evidently so many effects resulting from an adequate 
cause. But, as there is something peculiar in the facts 
of Methodist history, there must also be something 
peculiar in their cause, for the power, and the facts 
resulting therefrom, sustain the relation of cause and 
effect, so that the peculiarity discoverable in the facts 
must result from a corresponding peculiarity in the 
cause. The peculiarity of this power, which gives 
character to the effects resulting therefrom, may consist 
in the degree of intensity, rather than in an essential 
difference of nature; but our special object just now is 
to discover this peculiar power. And we are the more 
anxious to do so, first, because we think it is not 
generally apprehended with much clearness, to say the 
very least; second, because we think a clear appre- 
hension of this peculiar power would lead many more 
to seek and obtain it. We say the peculiar poiver of 
Methodism, because, although power may be discovered 
in all the departments of the system, and in every 
particular that legitimately belongs to it, it is not in 
every particular that the peculiar power is to be dis- 
covered, though it extends to all. 

In every system there is, and must be, a grand 
central power, or primary cause of motion. For 
instance, I look at my watch, and I at once see that 
the hands move, and at once I am convinced that 
there is power somewhere ; but it is not in the hands, 
though it extends to them. I now open this wonderful 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 17 

piece of mechanism and I discover the motions of the 
balance-wheel, but neither is the power in this particu- 
lar, though it extends to it. I now approach still 
nearer to the centre, and I discover a number of 
wheels of different sizes, and all in motion, though 
their motions vary, some of them moving faster, some 
slower ; but neither is the power in any one of these 
wdieels, though it extends to them all. Thus I con- 
tinue my advance toward the centre, till, finally, I 
reach the mainspring, and in reaching that, I have 
reached the power ; I know I have, for by stopping 
this motion I stop all the motions ; all the hands and 
all the wheels at once stand still. Again : See that 
vast building. As you approach, you discover that a 
vast amount of machinery is in motion. You enter 
the building, and you see numerous wheels, drums, 
shafts, looms, and spindles all in motion ; but in none 
of these is to be found the grand moving power, though 
it extends to them all. You pass through the vast 
building from one department to another, and from 
one shaft to another, but you have not yet found the 
peculiar power. At length you reach a point where 
are fire, smoke, steam, wheels, shafts, rods, and pins in 
abundance ; but in neither one of these is the grand 
moving power located. At length you discover a 
cylinder in which is pent up a certain amount of 
steam ; here is the power ; you know this is the power 
from which the entire machinery has its motion ; for 
if you scatter this pent up steam, all the machinery 
stands still, though all the other particulars remain as 
before, only there is no motion ! 

Now turn to that vast system of machinery called 
2* 



18 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

Methodism. It was set in motion in 1738, or, more 
properly speaking, perhaps, in 1739 ; and it has been 
running ever since. Now the power that started, and 
still runs this machinery, is a peculiar power, not 
absolutely, but in some respects, particularly with 
regard to its extraordinary energy, its modes of operating, 
and its extraordinary results. Observe there was power 
before the time here specified, and that power worked 
a given machinery, and produced corresponding re- 
sults. But since that time we observe an extraordinary 
power working an extraordinary machinery, and, of 
course, producing extraordinary results. These are 
facts, which, we presume, will not be denied. 

Now we wish to know ivhat this peculiar power is, 
and ivhere it is. The pretended infallible power of the 
Papal Church has been variously defined and variously 
located. Just so with regard to the peculiar power of 
which we speak. Some have attributed the extra- 
ordinary results to one thing, some to another. Some 
have thought that they, discovered this peculiar power 
in the adaptation of certain means to the characters of 
the times, while others have thought that they dis- 
covered it in the extraordinary statesmanship and 
shrewdness of John Wesley. To all these, and many 
similar conjectures, it is only necessary to give this 
reply : John Wesley was only one of the agents, in 
connection with whose labors this power developed it- 
self and produced the results to which we refer. More- 
over, John Wesley and his coadjutors have long since 
passed away, and times have greatly changed, but the 
peculiar power is still working with similar energy, 
and producing similar results. Indeed, we think we 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 19 

can show that this peciiUanpov^er is the same, essentially 
the same, both in energy and results, in every age, and 
among every people where it is found. Some have 
supposed that this power is to be found in the doctrines 
preached. This comes nearer to the point, yet it is 
not a full answer to the question, for John Wesley and 
his coadjutors, like the apostles, continually said, "We 
bring no new commandment unto you." In the Bible 
and prayer book which were read in the Churches of 
their fathers every Sabbath, they claim to find every 
truth that they preached. Nor will it do to tell us 
that the power w^hich produced these w^onderful and 
glorious results is the power of God ; for we know this 
already — we always knew this ; and we know, too, 
that God's power, like himself, is " the same, yesterday, 
and to-day and forever;" and so is his wisdom, and so 
is his goodness. Why, then, was not this power always 
exerted, as at the time referred to ? It will not do to 
resolve the whole into mystery, nor Avill it satisfy to 
refer it to the Divine Sovereignty. We really think 
that such an answer is no answer at all; indeed, it is 
worse than none, for it takes all blame from slothful 
Churches and slothful individuals, and shifts it over 
upon God Almighty, and it represents him, if we mis- 
take not, as being fitful and capricious in the exercise 
of his power. But this is contrary to his own account 
of himself, where he asserts his immutability , and where 
he assures us that on his part " all things are now 
ready," and that "now is the accepted time, and now 
is the day of salvation," even when this power does not 
operate. 

Now we not only believe that all the above, and 



20 POWER WITH GOB AND WITH MEN. 

many other attempts, fail to point out the j^^f^^f^^i^^f^"^ 
power from which resulted the great revival of the 
eighteenth century, but we believe that a proper 
investigation of the facts of Methodist history will 
clearly discover the power from which they result; 
and it is in these facts that we see the revival, as well 
as the power that produced the revival. This mode 
of investigation has some peculiar advantages, for the 
facts themselves are so interesting that they will pay 
us for all our trouble, if we give them due attention, 
even though we should fail to discover the pecfuliar 
power from which they resulted. And if we do 
succeed, we shall discover, not only the grand cause 
of the Methodist revival, but also that of all similar 
revivals; such as the Apostolic, and Lutheran re- 
vivals. And we shall see, too, how the revival may 
be continued or reproduced. 

Finally. If we shall succeed in discovering the 
peculiar power that produced such grand results, we 
shall find it an easv task to discover what is next in 
importance to this, — viz., the way in which individuals 
and churches lose the revival spirit, and backslide. I 
say the latter is next in importance to the former, for 
when an individual or a church is quickened into life, 
real, energetic, useful life, the next thing is to continue 
that life, and thus prevent both individuals and 
churches from relapsing into their former death, while 
they retain the name to live. And we may expect 
just such relapses, so long as the receipt or loss of this 
life-giving power is resolved into a deep inexplicable 
mystery ; so long as it is referred to the mere sovereign, 
or fitful and 'capricious action of the Almighty, In 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 21 

this way God is blamed for the continued rebellion of 
the sinner, and for the vile backslidings of individuals 
and whole churches. Such views are alike contrary 
to reason and revelation; and they are, as might be 
expected, unspeakably ruinous in their tendency. Let 
us, therefore, earnestly and patiently apply ourselves 
to the investigation of a subject so interesting, and so 
important. 

The facts which we shall adduce in support of our 
position, will be taken, principally, from the reforma- 
tions of the eighteenth, sixteenth, and first centuries, — 
viz., the Wesleyan, Lutheran, and Apostolic revivals ; 
thereby showing that this peculiar moral power is the 
same in every age, and among every people. We 
shall also expose the grand errors which exclude the 
conditions of this power, and thereby render powerless 
all the systems in which they are found. 



CHAPTER II. 

Facts of Methodist history down to the conversion of John 
and Charles Wesley — The poetry of Samuel Wesley and his 
sons — Mrs. Wesley's Academy — Her method of teaching 
and its results — The burning of the Rectory and the narrow 
escape of John — The three sons sent to higher schools, and 
John and Charles finally to Oxford — The society at Oxford 
called the '' Holy Club" — The voyage of John and Charles 
to America, and their labors there — Their return to Eng- 
land — Yery interesting particulars — The first and many suc- 
ceeding interviews with Peter Bohler — A minute account 
of their convictions and painful struggles ; and, finally, of 
their conversion — The peculiar power is obtained, and be- 
gins to manifest itself. 

We now turn to the facts of Methodist history to 
discover that peculiar power from which resulted what 
we see and hear, and what has been matter of glorious 
experience to millions of precious souls who, with 
Charles Wesley, have joyfully sung, 

" What we have felt and seen, 
With confidence we tell ; 
And publish to the sons of men 
The signs infallible.'' 

We commence Avhere Moses commenced, "In the 
beginning,'' and will notice the persons and the princi- 
ples through which God exerted his power in produ- 
(22) 



REFORMATION OF ETGITTEEXTH CENTURY. 23 

cing the grand results which shall pass before us in 
order, and to which, sls facts, w^e call attention. 

We noAV repair to the old Rectory at Epworth, in 
Lincolnshire, England. There w^e find the good rector, 
Samuel Wesley, and his wife Susanna, the parents of 
John and Charles AVesley. The good rector was the 
author of that beautiful hymn, commencing, 

" Behold the Saviour of mankind 
Nail'd to the shameful tree ; 
How vast the love that him inclined 
To bleed and die for thee." 

In this fine effusion we see the poet, the theologian, 
and the Christian. The son to whom this good man 
gave his own name, not only received the name, but 
also the poetic genius of the father, as is evident from 
that fine, pathetic eflTusion of w^hich he w^as the author, 
and of which the following is the first verse : 

'' The morning flowers display their sweets, 
And gay their silken leaves unfold, 
As careless of the noontide heats, 
As fearless of the evening cold." 

I need not say that John and Charles Wesley were 
poets, but I may say, that their numerous and exceed- 
ingly varied poetic productions contain the strength 
and elegance of the English language, the heights and 
depths of Christian theology and Christian experience, 
and are amongst the richest poetic eflfusions that ever 
flow^ed from the Christian pen. It would be difficult 
to find any thing in Christian theology, or Christian 
experience, that is not clearly and forcibly expressed 



24 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

in the hymns of John and Charles Wesley. It is said 
that the venerable Henry Moor, who was personally 
acquainted wdth the Wesleys, remarked on one occa- 
sion, that the Wesleyan Hymn-Book was his principal 
Commentary for many years. We make these remarks 
that it may be seen how God was already preparing 
material for the great work w^hose history w^e have un- 
der review. I believe these hymns, under God, tend 
to preserve the doctrines and spirit of our holy religion 
to an extent never fully appreciated. Every feeling 
that the human soul is the subject of, from the com- 
mencement of repentance to the loftiest raptures of the 
perfect Christian, may find suitable expression in the 
hymns of the Wesleys. Indeed, they sometimes carry 
their joyful strains to such an elevation, that they seem, 
finally, to blend with the rapturous songs that are sung 
before the throne in heaven ; w^hile at other times they 
flow with a liquid softness, and seem to blend with the 
very tears of the mourner, or in low and solemn ca- 
dence give expression to the most subdued feelings of 
the adoring soul before the mercy-seat; as in the fol- 
lowing lines: 

" The o'erwhelming power of saving grace, 
The sight that veils the seraph's face ; 
The spechless awe that dares not move, 
And all the silent heaven of love." 

Such hymns flow from, and partake of, that peculiar 
power of Methodism y/hich we desire to point out. 

The mother of these sweet singers, Mrs. Susanna 
Wesley, w^as the daughter of the Kev. Dr. Samuel An- 
nesley, whose cousin was the then Earl of Anglesey. 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 25 

He was an eminent and pious minister of the gospel. 
Mrs. Wesley told her son John that this good man said, 
shortly before he died, "that for more than forty years 
he had no darkness, no fear, no doubt at all of his be- 
ing * accepted in the Beloved.' " (Wesley's Works, Vol. 
III., p. 152, New York edition.) John and Charles 
Wesley w^ere brought up at the feet of a greater than 
Gamaliel. Their own mother prepared them for those 
more elevated studies which they afterwards prosecuted 
so successfully in the classic halls of Oxford. In a 
letter to her son John, dated July 24, 1732, and re- 
corded in his Journal, Vol. III., p. 262, she gives us 
some of the rules which she observed in conducting 
this holy school in the old Rectory at Ep worth. She 
says, "According to your desire, I have collected the 
principal rules which I observed in educating my 
family." h? * ?!< * >k 

"Samuel, who was the first child I ever taught, 
learned the alphabet in a few hours. He w^as five 
years old on the tenth of February ; the next day he 
began to learn ; and as soon as he knew the letters, be- 
gan at the first chapter of Genesis. He was taught to 
spell the first verse, then to read it over and over, till 
he could read it ofi'-hand without any hesitation ; so on 
to the second, etc., till he took ten verses for a lesson, 
which he quickly did. Easter fell low that year, and 
by Whitsuntide he could read a chapter very well ; for 
he read continually." jk ;k ^k 

"The same method was observed with them all. As 
soon as they knew the letters, they were put first to 
spell, and read one line, then a verse; never leaving 
till perfect in their lesson, were it shorter or longer. St 

3 



26 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

one or other continued reading at school-time, without 
any intermission ; and before we left school each child 
read what he had learned that morning, and ere we part- 
ed in the afternoon what they had learned that day. 
There was no such thing as loud talking, or playing al- 
lowed of; but all were kept close to their business, for 
six hours of school ; and it is almost incredible what a 
child can be taught in a quarter of a year, by a vigor- 
ous application, if it have but a tolerable capacity and 
good health. Every one of the children, Kezzy ex- 
cepted, could read better in that time, than the most of 
women can do as long as they live." The dullness of 
Kezzy she accounts for thus: "j^one of them were 
taught to read till five years old, except Kezzy, in 
whose case I was overruled, and she was more years 
learning than any of the rest had been months." This, 
doubtless, is the "dull child" that called forth the fol- 
lowing interesting incident. Passing through the school 
on one occasion, while the patient mother was giving 
"line upon line, and precept upon precept," Mr. Wes- 
ley said, "My dear, why do you sit there hour after 
hour, telling that dull child the same thing twenty 
times over." "Because nineteen times are not suf- 
ficient," was the prompt reply, of the great teacher. 
The school hours were from nine to twelve and from 
two to five. The day upon which each succeeding child 
of her numerous family was received into this sacred 
school was a marked day, and much to be remembered. 
Her own account of it must not be withheld. Here it 
is : " The day before a child began to learn, the house 
was set in order, every one's work appointed, and a 
charge given that none should come into the room 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 27 

from nine till twelve, or from two till five ; which you 
know were our school hours. One day w^as allowed 
the child wherein to learn its letters; and each of them 
did in that time know all its letters, great and small, 
except Molly and Nancy, who were a day and a half 
before they knew them perfectly." 

One more short extract from this interesting letter, 
and we must leave it; w^ould that every parent might 
read the whole of it. "For some years we went on 
very well. ISTever were children in better order. Never 
were children better disposed to piety, or in more sub- 
jection to their parents, till that fatal dispersion of 
them into several families, after the fire. In those 
families they w^ere left at full liberty to converse Vv^th 
servants, which before they had always been restrained 
from, and to run abroad and play with any children, 
o'ood or bad. Thev soon learned to neo-lect a strict ob- 
servation of the Sabbath, and got a knowledge of sev- 
eral songs and bad things, which before they had no 
notion of. That civil behaviour which made them ad- 
mired, when at home, by all who saw them, was, in a 
great measure, lost ; and a clownish accent, and many 
rude ways were learned, which were not reformed with- 
out some difiiculty. When the house was rebuilt, and 
the children all gathered home, we entered upon a 
strict reformation ; and then was begun the custom of 
singing Psalms at beginning and leaving school, morn- 
ing and evening." 

The fire mentioned by Mrs. Wesley in the above 
letter, is that from which little John was so providen- 
tially rescued, when about six years old. The deliver- 
ance was on this wise; — When the parents and the rest 



28 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

of the family had narrowly escaped, and the little 
group collected before the burning building, of which 
the flames had now the complete mastery, little John 
was missing, but was soon seen standing at an upper 
window. The house could not be entered, nor could a 
ladder be obtained in time; but a noble fellow whose 
body and soul were well adapted to the emergency, 
quickly placing his back to the wall of the burning 
building, called upon another man to stand upon his 
shoulders ; the call was promptly obeyed, and the child 
was taken from the window, immediately after which 
the roof of the building fell in. When God would 
save, he has never to go in quest of help to accomplish 
his purpose! In his life of Wesley, Mr. Watson says, in 
reference to Mrs. Wesley : " There is a striking passage 
in one of her private meditations, which contains a refer- 
ence to this event, and indicates that she considered it 
as laying her under special obligation ^ to be more par- 
ticularly careful of the soul of a child whom God had 
so mercifully provided for.' " The memory of this re- 
markable deliverance is also preserved in one of Mr. 
Wesley's early portraits, by the representation of a 
house in flames, with this motto, ''Is not this a brand 
plucked from the burning?" 

When John Wesley had reached the age of eight 
years, his religious character had been so developed, 
even then, that his father admitted him to the sacra- 
ment of the supper. When the three boys, Samuel, 
John and Charles, had graduated in the Maternal 
Academy, they were sent to higher seats of learning; 
but the foundation of their future greatness was un- 
questionably laid in the Maternal School. Samuel, 



REFORMATION OF FIGIITEENTIl CENTURY. 29 

who was the eldest, was sent to Westminster School, to 
which, at an after period, Charles was also sent; and in 
1714 John was sent to the Charter House. But, ob- 
serve, they are not yet horn again ; hence we do not yet 
find that peculiar power for which w^e seek. In due 
time Samuel is elected to Christ Church, Oxford. He 
became a ripe scholar, and a fine poet. He finally set- 
tled as head master of the Free School at Tiverton, in 
Devonshire, where he died in 1739, in his 49th year, 
just as the peculiar power began to be developed. But 
we return to John and Charles, who, while seasons and 
years roll on and pass away, continue to prosecute their 
studies with vigor and success, till they are raised to 
yet higher seats of learning in the University of Ox- 
ford. Here, too, they prosecute their studies, even with 
increasing vigor and success; but still they are uncon- 
verted, and destitute of the peculiar power, though 
their moral character is more and more developed, but 
they are not yet "endued with power from on high." 
Charles, whose moral character seemed to develope 
more slowly than that of John, nov/ seems to vie with 
his brother in this particular also, for he seems to have 
commenced the little Oxford Society, w^hich afterwards 
was knov/n as "The Holy Club," and which ^Ye shall 
notice in due time. Meantime John became noted for 
his high and various attainments. "His literary char- 
acter," says Dr. Whitehead, "was no w^ established in 
the University; he was acknow^ledged by all parties to 
be a man of talents, and an excellent critic in the 
learned languages. His compositions w^ere distin- 
guished by an elegant simplicity of style, and justness 
of thought that strongly marked the excellence of his 



30 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

classical taste. His skill in logic, or the art of reason- 
ing, was universally known and admired. The high 
opinion that was entertained of him in these respects, 
was soon publicly expressed, by choosing him Greek 
lecturer and moderator of the classes, on the 7th of 
November, though he had only been elected Fellow of 
the College in March. He was little more than twenty- 
three years of age, and had not proceeded to master of 
arts." ** He took his degree,'' says Mr. Watson, "in 
February, 1727; became his father's curate in August 
of the same year; returned to Oxford in 1728, to ob- 
tain priests' orders ; and paid another visit to Oxford 
in 1729, where, during his stay he attended the meet- 
ings of a small society formed by his brother Charles, 
Mr. Morgan and a few others, to assist each other in 
their studies, and to consult how to emyloy their time 
to the best advantage. After about a month he re- 
turned to Ep worth; but upon Dr. Morley, the rector 
of his college, requiring his residence at the college, he 
quitted his father's curacy, and in November again set- 
tled in Oxford. He now obtained pupils, and became 
tutor to the college; presided as moderator in the dis- 
putations six times a week, and had the chief direction 
of a religious society. From this time he stood more 
prominently forw^ard in his religious character, and iu 
his efforts to do good to others ; and began more fully 
to prove that they that will live godly in Christ Jesus 
must suffer persecution." 



Our reformer is noAV fully employed where he de- 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 31 

lights to be, and where he even now dreams that he 
shall spend his life, to use his own words, 

'' Among Academic shades to search for truth." 

But God has very different work for him to do, and 
will lead him by a way which as yet he knows not. 
Insensibly to himself, his zeal and various other quali- 
fications, make him the centre and soul of the pious 
nucleus of which his brother w^as the first centre. Of 
this interesting little company, Mr. J. Wesley has left 
on record the following account : (Works, vol. v. 
p. 246.) 

In November, 1729, four young gentlemen of Ox- 
ford — Mr. John Wesley, Fellow of Lincoln College; 
Mr. Charles Wesley, Student of Christ Church ; Mr. 
Morgan, Commoner of Christ Church, and Mr. Kirk- 
ham, of Merton College, began to spend some evenings 
in the week together, in reading, chiefly, the Greek Tes- 
tament. The next year two or three of Mr. John Wes- 
ley's pupils desired the liberty of meeting with them ; 
and afterward one of Mr. Charles Wesley's pupils. It 
was in 1732, that Mr. Ingham, of Queen's College, and 
Mr. Broughton, of Exeter, were added to their num- 
ber. To these, in April, was joined Mr. Clayton, of 
Brazennose, wuth two or three of his pupils. About 
the same time Mr. James Hervey was permitted to 
meet with them, and in 1735 Mr. Whitefield." * ^ 
'' They were all zealous members of the Church of Eng- 
land, not only tenacious of all her doctrines, so far as 
they knew them, but of all her discipline, to the mi- 
nutest circumstance." 

Here is what is called the first Methodist Society. 



32 POWER WITH CJOD AND \VITH MEN. 

But like some other Methodist Societies which Ave have 
known, it was destitute of the peculiar poiver, the true 
power of Methodism. John and Charles Vf esley have 
now everything but this; and they do, it would seem, 
everything that can be done without it. They visit 
hospitals, prisons, and the most neglected portions of 
society. They fast, they pray, they study, they teach, 
they exhort and they preach. They deprive themselves 
even of the necessaries of life that they may clothe the 
naked and feed the hungry. And in these ways they 
relieve much suffering, and do much good ; but, alas ! 
they lack the peculiar power. Hence we do not hear 
of a single clear conversion. Like many others, they 
have every qualification, save the peculiar poiver. If 
classical learning, classical polish, logical argument, 
various and extensive learning, both literary and sci- 
entific ; together with incessant labor and self-denial, 
would do the work^ John Wesley would have done it 
at this time, probably equal to any man of that or any 
other age. But this work cannot be done without the 
peculiar power ; and this the Wesleys have not yet re- 
ceived. Their day of pentecost is not yet come. 

Now the classic, and much-loved halls of Oxford, 
with their precious associations ; yea, and old England 
itself, together with their excellent mother, lately made 
a widow, brother, sisters, and other friends, are all part- 
ed with by the zealous brothers, w^ho are now deter- 
mined to preach the Gospel in the western world, 
hoping that they may there have better success than 
they h?td in England. 

" The holy club" at Oxford, already much dimin- 
ished under the cruel hand of persecution, is now finally 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 33 

broken up by the departure of the two Wesleys, who, 
on the 14th of October, 1735, embarked on board the 
" Simmonds," at Gravesend, for Georgia. They were 
accompanied by Benjamin Ingham and Charles Dela- 
motte. A single quotation from John Wesley's Jour- 
nal will suffice to show that these men lived on the 
great deep, as they had lived at Oxford, a life of inces- 
sant toil and self-denial. Having passed through the 
unavoidable irregularities of embarkation, &c., they 
now resume the strict Methodistic mode of life: — "We 
now began to be a little regular. Our common way of 
living was this : — From four in the morning till five, 
each of us used private prayer. From five to seven we 
read the Bible together, carefully comparing it (that 
we might not lean to our own understanding) wdth the 
WTitings of the earliest ages. At seven we breakfasted. 
At eight were the public prayers. From nine to twelve 
I usually learned German, and Mr. Delamotte, Greek. 
My brother wrote sermons, and Mr. Ingham instructed 
the children. At twelve we met to give an account to 
one another of what we had done since our last meet- 
ing, and of what w^e designed to do before our next. 
About one we dined. The time from dinner to four, 
we spent in reading to those whom each of us had taken 
in charge, or in speaking to them severally as need re- 
quired. At four were the evening prayers ; when either 
the second lesson was explained, (as it always was in 
the morning,) or the children were catechised and in- 
structed before the congregation. From five to six we 
again used private prayer. From six to seven I read 
in our cabin to two or three of the passengers, (of whom 
there were about eighty English on board,) and each 



34 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

of my brethren to a few more in theirs. At seven I 
joined with the Germans in their public service, while 
Mr. Ingham was reading between the decks, to as many 
as desired to hear. At eight we met again to exhort 
and instruct one another. Between nine and ten we 
went to bed, where neither the roaring of the sea, nor 
the motion of the ship, could take away the refreshing 
sleep which God gave us." This is what he calls, " A 
little regular!'' Some would think this was regular 
enough. One may see, however, even here, a develop- 
ment of the rules observed in the maternal academy in 
the old Rectory at Epworth. Yes, the impressions 
made by the hand of Susanna Wesley, upon her sons, 
never left them during their long and useful life. She 
trained them up in the way they should go, and when 
they were old they did not depart from it. Yet they 
are still destitute of the peculiar power, like many 
others, they are Methodists without the true Method- 
is tic pov\ er. 

Finally, on the 5th of February, 1736, the good ship 
cast anchor in the destined port, and soon after the 
Missionaries landed at Savannah, where Mr. Wesley 
makes the following record in his Journal. "Thurs- 
day 5. — Between two and three in the afternoon, God 
brought us all safe into the Savannah river. We cast 
anchor near Tybee Island, where the groves of pines, 
running along the shore, made an agreeable prospect, 
"showing, as it were, the bloom of spring in the depth 
of winter. Friday 6. — About eight in the morning v>'e 
first set foot on American ground. It was a small un- 
inhabited island, over against Tybee. Mr. Oglethorp 
led us to a rising ground, where we all kneeled down to 



REFOEMAl'lON OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 35 

give thanks.'' Just so it was, that the puritan pilgrims 
commenced their life and labors upon this continent 
many years before ; nor has God failed to answer the 
prayers of his servants, either first or last. On the loth 
he makes the following record in his Journal : " In the 
course of reading to-day were these words: ^Thus saith 
the Lord of hosts, It shall yet come to pass, that there 
shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities : 
and the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, 
saying. Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and 
to seek the Lord of hosts : I Avill go also. Yea, many 
people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord 
of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord.' — 
Zech. viii. 20-22." That was a day of small things ; 
but the great soul of this missionary looked hopefully 
to the future, though clouds and darkness then rested 
upon it. And his hopes, as well as the suggestions of 
the above Scripture, have been gloriously realized'; 
though for the time he and his devoted companions 
seemed to labor in vain, and spend their strength for 
naught, for they had not, as yet, the peculiar power ; 
the day of pentecost was not yet come. 

The history of the tw^o Wesleys during this period 
is well known. It is only necessary to say that they 
labored much, and suffered not a little, and, apparently 
at least, with very little success. The centre of John's 
field of labor was Savannah, while that of Charles was 
Frederica. In July, 1736, Charles was sent to Eng- 
land with despatches from Mr. Oglethorp, and arrived 
at Deal in December following. The brothers so long 
united, in childhood and manhood ; in studies and 
travels ; by sea and by land ; in sufferings and perils, 



36 POWER WITH GOB AND WITH MEN. 

are now for a time separated, and the broad Atlantic 
rolls between them. But John still seems to say, 
" None of these things move me, neither count I my 
life dear unto me so that I might finish my course 
with joy, and the ministry which I have received of 
the Lord Jesus, to testify the Gospel of the grace of 
God." Night and day he toils on, now among the 
colonists, and then among the Indians; determined, 
it would seem, to practice and cause all others to prac- 
tice every thing enjoined in the Bible and in the 
Prayer-book. But he seems to labor on the rock, and 
write upon the sand, till finally he brings to a close 
these unsuccessful labors, and makes the following 
record in his journal: 

"Friday, 16, 1738, I parted with the last of those 
friends who came with me into America, Mr. Charles 
Delamotte, from whom I had been but a few days 
separate since October 14th, 1735." On Sunday, 18th, 
being quite sick, he says : " yet I had strength enough 
given to preach once more to this careless people." 
Again, "Thursday, 22d, I took my leave of America, 
(though, if it please God, not for ever,) going on board 
the Samuel, Captain Percy." But his personal labors 
were done in America, God had prepared another field 
for him; his influence, however, is still felt in America, 
and in every other country. Again, " Saturday, 24th, 
we sailed over Charleston bar, and about noon lost 
sight of land." Being in great heaviness for several 
days, why he knew not, he says, "I cried earnestly for 
help, and it pleased God, as in a moment to restore 
peace to my soul." At another time he says, " Being 
sorrowful and very heavy, (though I eould give no 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 37 

particular reason for it,) and utterly unwilling to speak 
close to any of my little flock, (about twenty persons,) 
I w\as in doubt whether my neglect of them was not 
one cause of my heaviness. In the evening, therefore, 
I began instructing the cabin-boy, after which I was 
much easier." To all who are in similar heaviness, 
we would earnestly recommend the same remedy ; it 
would, we doubt not, prove as effectual in their case 
as it did in that of John Wesley. Thus, as hitherto, 
he continued his labors w^hile the good ship dashed 
through the billows toward Old England. At one 
time he tells us, "All in the ship, except the captain 
and steersman, were present both at the morning and 
evening service." At another time he says, "I began 
instructing a negro lad in the principles of Christian- 
ity." But he is not satisfied with his labors even yet, 
hence he says, "I resolved, God being my helper, not 
only to preach it to all, but to apply the word of God 
to every single soul in the ship. I no sooner executed 
this resolution than my spirit revived, so that from 
this day I had no more of that fearfulness and heavi- 
ness w^hich before almost continually w^eighed me 
down." 

But, still he is destitute of the peculiar power ; and 
still he writes bitter things against himself, in a mourn- 
ful record of which the following is the substance: 
" By the most infallible proofs, inward feeling," he 
finds in himself, "unbelief," "pride/' "gross irrecol- 
lection," and "levity and luxuriancy of spirit," wdiich 
he says he finds " recurring whenever the pressure ia 
taken off and appearing by my speaking words not 
tending to edify ; but most by my manner of speaking 



38 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

of my enemies." Here he exclaims, " Lord save, or I 
perish! Save me, 1st. By such faith as implies peace 
in life and in death. 2d. By such humility as may fill 
my heart from this hour forever, with a piercing un- 
utterable sense, I have done nothing hitherto, having 
evidently built without foundation. 3d. By such a 
recollection as may cry to thee every moment, espe- 
cially when all is calm ; Give me faith or I die ; give 
me a lowly spirit ; otherwise let life be a burden to 
me. 4th. By steadiness, seriousness, or sobriety of 
spirit, avoiding, as fire, every word that tendeth not to 
edify, and never speaking of any who oppose me, or 
sin against God without all my own sins set in array 
before my face.'' Soon after he has this reflection, 
"I reflected much on that vain desire which had pur- 
sued me for so many years, of being in solitude, in 
order to be a Christian. I have now, I thought, soli- 
tude enough. But am I, therefore, the nearer being a 
Christian ? Not if Jesus Christ be the model of Chris- 
tianity. I doubt, indeed, I am much nearer that 
mystery of Satan, which some writers affect to call by 
that name. So near that I had probably sunk wholly 
into it had not the great mercy of God just now thrown 
me upon reading St. Cyprian's works. O my soul, 
come not thou into their secret. Stand thou in the 
good old paths." 

Again. Jan. 24, 1738. "We spoke with two ships, 
outward bound, from whom we had the welcome news, 
of our wanting but one hundred and sixty leagues of 
the Land's End. My mind was now full of thought ; 
part of which I write down as follows: — I went to 
America, to convert the Indians • but O ! who shall 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 39 

convert nie ? Who, what is he that shall deliver me 
from this evil heart of unbelief? I have a fair summer 
religion. I can talk well ; nay, and believe myself, 
while no danger is near: but let death look me in 
the face, and my spirit is troubled. Nor can I say, 
* To die is gain !' 

I have a sin of fear, thai when I've spun 
My last thread, I shall perish on the shore." 

After much more dolorous reflection of this kind, he 
exclaims, in the most touching language, '' O I who 
shall deliver me from this fear of death ? What shall 
I do ? AYhere shall I fly from it ? Shall I fight against 
it by thinking, or by not thinking of it '?" 

He has not yet a Christian experience, and he knows 
it, and acknowledges it. In this he diflTers from many 
learned ministers, who are no better than he then was. 
Alas ! alas ! many such there are who cannot say, any 
more than John Wesley could, at that time, " Being 
justified by faith, we have peace with God, through 
our Lord Jesus Christ : by whom also we have access 
by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice 
in the hope of the glory of God." Almost in the very 
words of Scripture, though he does not seem to advert 
to them, he exclaims, "O wretched man that I am! 
who shall deliver me from this body of death ?" But, 
thank God he has not fallen into the delusion, the 
deadly error, of those who teach that such dreadful 
groans as these belong to the highest Christian ex- 
perience ! If he had, probably Methodism had never 
known the peculiar power ; nay, Methodism, so called, 
in all probability, would never have had an existence. 



40 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

It was well, tlierefoi-e, that he passed through such 
fearful storms as he records iu the followiug extract 
from his journal of January 13:— "About midnight 
we were awakened by a confused noise of seas and 
wind and men's voices, the like to which I had never 
heard before. The sound of the sea breaking over and 
against the sides of the ship, I could compare to nothing 
but large cannon, or Amerii-an thunder. The rebound- 
ing, starting, quivering motion of the ship resembled 
what is said of earthquakes. The captain was upon 
deck in an instant. But his ujen could not hear what 
he said. It blew a proper hurricane ; which, beginning 
at the south-west, then went west, north-west, north, 
and, in a quarter of an hour, round by the east to the 
south-west point again. At the same time the sea run- 
ning (as they term it) mountain high, and that from 
many different points at once, the ship would not obey 
the helm ; nor, indeed, could the steersman, through the 
violent rain see the compass, so he was forced to let 
her run befoi'e the wind, and in half an hour the stress 
of the storm was over.'' It was in the midst of this 
storm that our missionary resolved not only to preach 
the word of God to all, " but to apply it to every single 
soul in the ship ;" nor did he, like many, resolve in the 
storm, and forget in the calm; for he says, ''I no 
sooner executed this resolution than my spirit revived; 
so that from this day I had no more of tliat fearfulness 
and heaviness, v/hicli before almost continually weighed 
me down." Thus did God preach to John Wesley by 
winds and seas, that roared like "American thunder ;" 
as well as by saints and sinners, till he became convinced 
that he " w^as bull din ir without a foundation," and that 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 41 

he had only '^a fair summer religion" that would not 
bear the test, especially when " death looked him in the 
face." Pie resolved, however, not to be satisfied short 
of that religion described by the Psalmist in these 
w^ords : " Therefore will not we fear, though the earth 
be removed, and though the mountains be carried into 
the midst of the sea ; though the waters thereof roar 
and be troubled ; though the mountains shake with the 
swelling thereof." And we thank God that he so re- 
solved ; for in due time he obtained this very religion ; 
and he feared the storms no more, as his after life fully 
testifies. 

The terrible storms have again blown by, and the 
good ship, which in the kind providence of God so suc- 
cessfully battled them, is now fast approaching the 
English coast, and the grateful missionary makes the 
following record in his Journal : " Sunday, January 
29,1738. We saw English land once more; w^hich, 
about noon, appeared to be the Lizard Point. We ran 
by it with a fair wind ; and at noon, the next day, 
made the west end of the Isle of Wight." Finally, on 
the 31st, he says, " Toward evening was a calm ; but 
in the night a strong north wand brought us safe into 
the Downs. The day before, Mr. Whitfield had sailed 
out, neither of us then knowing anything of the other. 
At four in the morning we took boat, and in half an 
hour landed at Deal ; it being Wednesday, Febru- 
ary 1." 

Once more he treads the shores of his native coun- 
try, he is again in the land of his birth, the land of his 
fathers. He is now about 35 years of age. He has 
been a student, a close student from his childhood. 

4* 



42 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

For many years he has been a preacher of the Gospel. 
He has preached to the French, the Italians, and the 
English, in their own tongue, while he was a missiona- 
ry, and could have preached in Hebrew, Greek, and 
Latin, had it been necessary. In his journeys seeking 
the lost sheep in an inhospitable clime, he has slept in 
the lonely wilderness during the night-watches, when 
his clothes and his hair were frozen to the earth. He 
has prosecuted these labors at home and abroad, by sea 
and by land, with a perseverance seldom equalled, and 
perhaps never surpassed ; but still he confidently avers 
that he is not yet a Christian, and it is quite certain 
that he has not the peculiar power after which we seek. 
All his reflections at this time are very interesting, but 
they cannot be introduced here ; some of them, how- 
ever, are so important in themselves, and so closely 
connected with the object of our investigation, that we 
may not wholly pass them by. Vol. iii., p. 56, he says, 
" It is now two years and almost four months since I 
left my native country, in order to teach the Georgia 
Indians the nature of Christianity, but what have I 
learned myself in the meantime? Why, that I who 
went to America to convert others, was never myself 
converted to God." Knowing that this was a startling 
statement, and that some of his best friends objected to 
it, he adds, "^I am not mad,' though I thus speak; 
'but speak the words of truth and soberness;' if happily 
some of those who still dream may awake, and see, that 
as I am so are they." O that the present investiga- 
tions might, at least in some measure, tend, by the 
blessing of God, to promote the same important end, 
the end for which John Wesley recorded his experi- 



■REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 4o 

ence. He goes on, "Are they read in philosophy? So 
was I. In ancient or modern tongues ? So was I also. 
Are they versed in the science of Divinity ? I too have 
studied it many years. Can they talk fluently upon 
spiritual things? The very same could I do. Are 
they plenteous in alms? Behold, I gave all my 
goods to feed the poor. Do they give of their labor as 
well as of their substance ? I have labored more abund- 
antly than they all. Are they willing to suffer for 
their brethren? I have thrown up my friends, reputa- 
tion, ease, country ; I have put my life in .my hand, 
wandering into strange lands ; I have given my body 
to be devoured by the deep, parched up with heat, con- 
sumed by toil and weariness, or whatsoever God should 
please to bring upon me. But does all this (be it more 
or less, it matters not,) make me acceptable to God ? 
Does all I ever did or can know, say, give, do, or suf- 
fer, justify me in His sight? Yea, or the constant use 
of all the means of grace, j^ which, nevertheless, is meet, 
right, and our bounden duty;) or that I know nothing 
of myself, that I am, as touching outward moral right- 
eousness, blameless. Or, (to come closer yet,) the hav- 
ing a rational conviction of all the truths of Christianity ? 
Does all this give me a claim to the holy, heavenly, 
divine character of a Christian? By no means. If the 
oracles of God are true, if we are still to abide by ' the 
law and the testimony ;' all these things, though, when 
ennobled by faith in Christ, they are holy, and just, and 
good, yet without it, are ^dung and dross."' Again: 
" Having nothing in or of myself to plead, I have no 
hope but that of being justified freely 'through the 
redemption that is in Jesus ;' I have no hope but that 



44 • POWER WITH GOD ANT) WITH MEN. 

if I seek I shall find Christ, and ^be found in him, not 
having mine own righteousness, but that which is 
through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is 
of God by faith/ '' A little after he says, '' The faith 
I want is the faith of a son." And again : *' I w-ant 
that faith which St. Paul recommends to all the world, 
especially in his Epistle to the Romans ; the faith 
which enables every one that hath it to cry out, *I live 
not, but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now 
live, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, 
and gave himself for me.' I want that faith which 
none can have without knowing that he hath it, 
(though many imagine they have it, who have it not,) 
for whosoever hath it, is ^ freed from sin,' the ^body of 
sin is destroyed' in him ; he is freed from fear, 'having 
peace with God through Christ, and rejoicing in hope 
of the glory of God.' And he is freed from doubt, hav- 
ing the love of God shed abroad in his heart by the 
Holy Ghost which is given jinto him, which SSpirit 
itself beareth witness with his spirit, that he is a child 
of God.' " ' : 

Now, let it be well observed, that I do not present 
Mr. Wesley's teachings and views, up to this time, as 
being all Scriptural, though most of them are pretty 
near right. My object is to show, from the facts of 
history, when and how he obtained a knowledge of 
the great doctrine of justification by faith, and of the 
kindred doctrine, the direct witness of the Spirit, to 
show^ how^ he and Methodism obtained the peculiar 
j^oiver, and to show^ what that power is. 

About this time Mr. ^Vesley had several conversa- 
tions with Peter Bolder, Schulius Richter, and Wensel 



refoii:jation of eighteenth century. 45 

Neiser, in London, where they had just arrived from 
Germany. ''Finding they had no acquaintance in 
England," he says, " I offered to procure them a lodging, 
and did so, near Mr. Hutton's, where I then was. And 
from this time I did not willingly lo-se any opportunity 
of conversing with them, while I stayed in London." 
The two grand points upon which they principally con- 
versed, were the two kindred doctrines specified above. 
Upon the same points he had conversed wTth German 
Missionaries on his passage to Georgia and in Georgia, 
By appealing to the standards of the Church of Eng- 
land, to the writings of the Fathers, and especially to 
the word of God, he became more and more enlight- 
ened and confirmed as to the truth and importance of 
these vital doctrines. It w^as on the 7th of February, 
1738, that he first met with Mr. Bohler to whom he 
soon became much attached, but much as he loved to 
converse with this good man, he continued to travel 
and preach as hitherto. But as w^e are now fast 
approaching the important point w^here the peculiar 
power IS to be discovered, we must carefully mark every 
step, and to that end quote from the journal. On the 
17th of February, he 'makes the following entry: — "I 
set out for Oxford with Peter Bohler, where w^e were 
kindly received by Mr. Sarney, the only one now re- 
maining here, of many who, at our embarking for 
America, w^ere used to take sweet counsel together and 
rejoice in bearing the reproach of Christ." Again, on 
the 18th, he says, "All this time I conversed much 
wdth Peter Bohler, but I understood him not; and 
least of all when he said, Mifrater, mifrater, excoquenda 
est ista tua philosophia. " My brother, my brother, that 



4& POWER WITH GOD AND WITH ME^T. 

philosophy of yours must be purged away.'' John's 
philosophy and Peter's faith are now fairly at issue ; 
but Peter is unyielding. He is evidently determined 
that philosophy shall not usurp the place of faith in 
Christ; nay, nothing will satisfy him short of having 
it purged away ; nor can we resist the conviction that 
there are at this day many ministers wdio, in this par- 
ticular at least, stand in need of purging much more 
than did John Wesley. Although Mr. W. records no 
more than the above, it is evident that his philosophy 
rather than Peter's faith yielded in this contest. Still, 
however, he keeps preaching ; hence on Sunday the 
26th, we find him preaching three times in London. 
But as he is now fully convinced that he has not justi- 
fying faith, he says, Saturday the 4th of March, " Im- 
mediately it struck into my mind, leave ofi* preaching. 
How can you preach to others wdio have not faith 
yourself? I asked Bohler whether he thought I ought 
to leave it off or not. He answered, ' By no means.' 
I asked, * But what can I preach?' He said, * Preach 
faith till you have it; and then, because you have it 
you will preach faith." To this advice he at once 
yields, for he seems to be teachable as a child. 

''Accordingly, Monday, 6th, I began to preach this 
new doctrine, though my soul started back from the 
work. The first person to w^hom I offered salvation by 
faith alone, was a prisoner under sentence of death; 
his name was Clifford." Observe, he now began to 
preach this new doctrine, justification by faith, and this 
is the first person to whom he offered salvation by faith 
alone. This deserves special notice, and it is w^orthy 
of a passing remark, that his new principle is subjected 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 47 

to a pretty severe test at the commencement, but it is 
not the first time that it has been thus tested, and that 
with glorious success, for it saved " the chief of sinners" 
long before, and we shall see it equally successful pretty 
soon. In the meantime, he tells us, on the 23d, " The 
next morning I began the Geeek Testament again, 
resolving to abide by the * law and the testimony,' and 
being confident that God would hereby show me whether 
this doctrine was of God." On another condemned 
criminal in " the Castle " at Oxford, he tested his new 
doctrine. " After preaching," he says, " we prayed with 
the condemned man, first in several forms of prayer, 
and then in such words as were given us in that hour. 
He kneeled down in much heaviness and confusion, 
having ^no rest in' his * bones by reason of his sin.' 
After a space he rose up, and eagerly said, *I am now 
ready to die. I know Christ has taken away my sins ; 
and there is no more condemnation for me.' The same 
composed cheerfulness he showed when he was carried 
to execution ; and in his last moments he was the same, 
enjoying a perfect peace, in confidence that he was 
'accepted in the beloved.' " 

His philosophy is now being " purged away," and the 
teachings of his Greek Testament are taking the place 
thereof. Here is a triumph by faith in Jesus Christ, 
that his philosophy never could boast of, and that his 
logic was equally incapable of. On the first of April 
we have another very encouraging record ; here it is : 
" Being at Mr. Fox's Society, my heart was so full that 
I could not confine myself to the forms of prayer which 
we were accustomed to use there. Neither do I pur- 
pose to be confined to them any more ; but to pray 



48 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

indifferently, with a form or without, as I may find 
suitable to particular occasions/' It is evident that he 
is being still further purged, not only from his philoso- 
phy, but also from his ritualism and mere formalism ; 
and it is observable, that, just in proportion as human 
inventions are purged away, Christ and his Gospel 
take their place ; so that we already have some strik- 
ing indications of the approach of the peculiar poiver. 
In the name of Jesus he offers pardon to a poor male- 
factor, and in the same name he offers prayer for him, 
and his heart is so full that he cannot confine himself 
to the forms of prayer, nor will he do so any more ; 
and the prayer that came from the full heart, instead 
of coming from the Prayer Book, is answered, and the 
poor sinner is pardoned, is happy, and dies without 
fear. It was thus that John Wesley was taught to 
sing. 

^' What are our works but sin and death, 
Till thou thj quick'ning spirit breathe ? 
Thou giv'st the power thy grace to move ; 
OwQnd'rous grace ! boundless love 1 

" How can it be, thou heavenly King, 
That thou should'st us to glory bring ; 
Make slaves the part'ners of thy throne, 
Deck'd with a never-fading crown ? 

*' Hence our hearts melt, our eyes o'erflow, 
Our words are lost, nor will we know, 
Nor will we think of aught beside, - 
My Lord, my Love, is crucified.'^ 

On the 22d of April, Bohler and Wesley are again 
in close conference, and the latter is now clearly con- 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEETII CENTURY. 49 

vinced of the nature and fmdts of justifying faith. 
*' Bat," he says, " I could not understand how this 
faith should be given in a moment ; how a man could 
at once be thus turned from darkness to light, from sin 
and misery to righteousness and joy in the Holy Ghost. 
I searched the Scriptures again, touching this very 
thing, particularly the Acts of the Apostles, but, to my 
utter astonishment, found scarce any instance there of 
other than instantaneous conversions ; scarce any so 
slow as that of St. Paul, who was three days in the 
pangs of the new birth. I had but one retreat left, 
namely, * TJmSy I grant God wrought in the first ages 
of Christianity ; but the times are changed. What 
reason have I to believe that he works in the same 
manner now?' But on Sunday the 23d, I was beat 
out of this retreat, too, by the concurring evidence of 
several living vritnesses, who testified that God had 
thus wTought in themselves, giving them in a moment 
such a faith in the blood of his Son, as translated them 
out of darkness into light, out of sin and fear into 
holiness and happiness. Here ended my disput- 
ing. I could now only cry out, * Lord, help thou my 
unbelief.' " Bohler and the New Testament are now 
victorious, and Wesley is completely conquered. Again 
he proposes " to refrain from teaching others," but 
Peter will not submit even to this ; he says, ^^ Do not 
hide in the earth the talent God hath given you." 
This, it will be remembered, is very difierent teaching 
from that which the Moravians afterwards taught, and 
to which Mr. Wesley utterly refused to submit. See Jour- 
nal, vol. iii., pp. 167, 186, 189, 190, and 337. When the 
Moravians presented truth to him, after submitting u 

5 



50 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MAN. 

to the test of his Greek Testament, he embraced it ; 
but when they afterwards introduced error, after sub- 
mitting it to the same test, he promptly and firmly 
rejected it. This deserves notice ; for it will be seen 
that not only the Church of England, but the Mora- 
vians also, departed from first principles, while Mr. 
Wesley adhered to them. In compliance with the 
judicious advice which Mr. Eohler now gave him, he 
now urged, with increased earnestness, the great truth, 
justification by faith, and that in private as well as in 
the public congregation. Hence, on the 25th, he says, 
" I spoke clearly and fully at Blendon to Mr. De- 
lamotte's family, of the nature and fruits of faith. 
Mr. Broughton and my brother were there. Mr. 
Broughton's great objection was, he could never 
think that I had not faith who had done and suffered 
such things. My brother was very angry, and told 
me, I did not know what mischief I had done by 
talking thus." Had Mr. Wesley, like Mr. Broughton 
and many others, inferred his justification from what 
he had done and suffered, the two kindred doctrines 
of justification by faith, and the direct witness of the 
Spirit, would have been as little known in Methodism, 
as they are in some other isms ; or, what is still more 
likely, Methodism had never existed ; or if it had, it 
would have existed and died, destitute of the peculiar 
power. But, thank God, he did not rest in mere theory 
and unscriptural inference, as a substitute for experi- 
mental religion. 

But we will now for a few moments, turn to Charles 
Wesley, who also, as we have seen, opposes the new 
doctrine, so called, though it is really as old as the fall 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 51 

of man. Nor will lie submit, in this particular, either 
to his brother or to Peter Bohler. But God takes a 
somewhat different method with him. He is in his 
defences at the great seat of learning, Oxford ; a kind 
of head quarters, then, as now, for the army to which 
he as yet belongs; and like many others, he is 
surrounded with strong embankments of morality, 
learning and patronage : so that for the present, even 
Peter Bohler's artillery seems to make but little 
impression. Just now he is seized with a violent 
pleurisy, and John, who is now on his way to see his 
brother Samuel at Tiverton, receives a message inform- 
ing him that his brother Charles is dying at Oxford. 
He hastens thither, and finds him " recovering from his 
pleurisy, and with him he finds Peter Bohler. But 
Peter seems to make but little impression upon those 
strong embankments within which Charles has taken 
refuge. He recovers from his sickness, and makes his 
way to London. The hand of God is in this also, for 
he is more accessible here. His sickness returns, and 
John is again obliged to suspend his labors, and 
hasten to London to see him. Of this visit he makes 
the following record in his Journal: — "May 1, The 
return of my brother's illness obliged me again to 
hasten to London. In the evening I found him at 
James Hutton's, better as to his health than I 
exj^ected ; but strongly averse to what he called ^ the 
new faith.' This evening our little Society began, 
which afterwards met in Fetter Lane." Here follow the 
rules which they then fixed upon, ten in all. These 
rules are very simple, and yet quite sufficient for such 
persons as were designed to constitute the Society. But 



52 POWFwR WITH GOD AND WITH MAN. 

here is the point. Rules, or Laws, must be made with 
reference to bad, as well as good characters. The first 
rule is this, " That we will meet together once a week 
to * confess our faults one to another^ and pray one for 
another, that we may be healed.' " Fifth rule. " That 
any who desire to be admitted into this Society be 
asked, What are your reasons for desiring this ? Will 
you be entirely open, using no kind of reserve ? Have 
you any objection to any of our orders ?" After two 
months' trial, if there was no objection, the proba- 
tioner was admitted into the Society. Every fourth 
Saturday was to " be observed as a day of general in- 
tercession ;" and every fourth Sunday evening, from 
7 to 10, they were to hold a love-feast. " In obedience 
to the command of God by St. James, and by the ad- 
vice of Peter Bolder," these Rules were agreed to ; and 
here these great reformers, simple as children, met for 
a time, and often had a heaven upon earth, till the 
rules proved too w^eak for the devil and his children, 
who by-and-by crept in among them. 

But we must now return to Charles Wesley, who 
we left at James Hutton's, sick in body, and obstinate 
enough with regard to wluit he called " the new faith." 
This was on the first of May. On the 19th of the 
same month, John makes the following record in his 
journal. ^' Friday 19th. My brother had a second 
return of his pleurisy. A few of us spent Saturday 
night in prayer." On the following day, being Whit- 
sunday, the 21st of May, 1738, he says, "I received 
the surprising news that my brother found rest to his 
s-oul. His bodily strength returned also from that 
hour. Who is so o;reat a God as our God ?" From 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 53 

the latter end of February to the 21st of May, he has 
had little respite from sickness, sometimes apparently 
at the gate of death. Meantime he is plyed with the 
great truths which he was so slow to learn, and prayer 
was continually offered on his behalf, while death 
looked him in the face, as it did his brother at sea, 
when the winds and the waves striking the ship roared 
like "American thunder." Finally, his foundation 
also gave way, and he found that his studies, his 
learning, his morality, and his preaching, were poor 
substitutes for the atonement, or for faith in Jesus. At 
length he cried for mercy, for the alone-sake of Jesus, 
like any other sinner, and cast himself by faith upon 
the atonement, and was saved by grace. Or, as 
he himself expresses it in the following beautiful 
lines : — 

" Faded my virtuous show, 

My form without the power 
The sin-convincing Spirit blew, 

And blasted every flower. 

Mj mouth was stopped, and shame 

Covered my guilty face ; 
I fell on the atoning Lamb, 

And I was saved by grace." 

Now his Muse, as well as his soul, seems to be quick- 
ened into glorious life. O how sweetly does he sing, 
and how vividly and forcibly does he describe both his 
former and his present state. How sweetly does he 
now pour out his soul in that beautiful hymn, of which 
the following are two verses : 



54 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MAN. 

." Long my imprisoned spirit lay, 

Fast bound in sin and nature's night; 
Thine eye diffused a quick'ning ray : 

I woke ; the dungeon flamed with light, 
My chains fell off, my heart was free, 
I rose went forth, and follow'd thee. 

No condemnation now I dread, 

Jesus, with all in him, is mine ; 
Alive in him, my living head. 

And clothed with righteousness divine ; 
Bold I approach the eternal throne, 
And claim the crown, through Christ, my own. 

He is now about thirty years of age; he has been 
a student from his childhood ; he has had many teachers, 
and now he has fairly entered the school of Christ, at 
whose feet we now leave him pouring forth his heavenly 
numbers, while we return to John, whose labors seem 
to abound yet more and more. 

He seems to have adopted Deut. vi. 7 for his model, 
only he takes the whole human race for his family. 
His grand topics are, justification by faith, and the 
knowledge of the fact by the dived witness of the Spirit, 
corroborated by the fruits of the Spirit, love, peace, hope, 
joy, and lioly living. These things he teaches ^' dili- 
gently," literally adhering to the above model, for he 
teaches *^by the way," and when he lieth down, and 
when he riseth up ; and wherever he finds an open door 
he preaches them to the congregation. But, let us turn 
to his own journal, vol. iii. p. 67 '' Sunday 7. I preached 
at St. Lawrence's in the morning, and afterwards at St. 
Katharine Cree's. I was enabled to speak strong words 
at both, and was tlierefore the less surprised at bei r.g 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 55 

informed that I was not to preach any more in either 
of those churches. Tuesday 9. I preached at Great 
St. Helen's to a very numerous congregation on, *He 
that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for 
us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all 
things T My heart w^as now so enlarged to declare the 
love of God to all that were oppressed by the devil, 
that I did not wonder in the least, when I was after- 
wards told, 'Sir, you must preach here no more.'" On 
the 10th we find the following entry, "Mr. Stonehouse, 
vicar of Islington, w^as convinced of the truth as it is 
in Jesus. From this time till Saturday 13th, I was 
sorrowful and very heavy, being neither able to' read, 
nor meditate, nor sing, nor pray, nor do anything. Yet 
I was a little refreshed by Peter Bohler's letter." Here 
follows the letter. In it he guards him against "the 
sin of unbelief," and urges him to "conquer it this very 
day." He talks sweetly of the love of Jesus, saying, 
"O how great, how inexpressible, how unexhausted 
His love I" In view of this love he exhorts, "Delay 
not, I beseech you, to believe in your Jesus Christ." 
"Surely he is now ready to help ; and nothing can offend 
him but our unbelief." Notwithstanding the awful 
solitude, sadness, and utter helj^lessness of spirit, above 
described, "being a little refreshed by Peter Bohler's 
letter," he is up and at it again. Hence on Sunday 
the 14th, he says, "I preached in the morning at St. 
Ann's, Aldersgate, and in the afternoon at the Savoy 
Chapel, free salvation by faith in the blood of Christ. 
I was quickly apprised that at St. Ann's, likewise, I 
am to preach no more." On Sunday the 21st, the day 
on which he received the glad tidings of his brother's 



56 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

salvation, he heard Dr. Heylyn preach in the morning, 
and afterward assisted him in administering the Sacra- 
ment of the Supper; then at three, in the afternoon of 
the same day, he says, "I preached at St. John's, Wap- 
ping, and at St. Bennett's, Paul's Wharf, in the evening. 
At these churches, likewise, I am to preach no more." 
AVhat follows is exceedingly touching, especially when 
his peculiar circumstances are considered. He says, 
"Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, I had continual 
sorrow and heaviness in my heart." 

To the friend to whom he writes "in the broken 
manner he was able," he says, " I feel what you say, 
(though not enough,) for I am under the same con- 
demnation. I see that the whole law of God is holy, 
just and good. I know every thought, every temper of 
my soul, ought to bear God's image and superscription. 
But how am I fallen from the glory of God ! I feel 
that 'I am sold under sin.' I know that I too deserve 
nothing but wrath, being full of all abominations; and 
having no good thing in me, to atone for them, or to 
remove the wrath of God. All my words, my right- 
eousness, my prayers, need an atonement for them- 
selves. So that my mouth is stopped ; I have nothing 
to plead. God is holy; I am unholy. God is a con- 
suming fire; I am altogether a sinner, meet to be con- 
sumed. Yet I hear a voice (and is it not the voice of 
God ?) saying, ' Believe and thou shalt be saved. He 
that belie vet h is passed from death unto life. God so 
loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that 
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have 
everlasting life.' O let no one deceive us by vain 
words, as if we had already attained this faith ! By its 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 57 

fruits ye shall know. Do we already feel *peaee with 
God and joy in the Holy Ghost?' Does the Spirit bear 
witness with our spirit, that w^e are the children of 
God V Alas ! with mine he does not ; nor, I fear, with 
yours. O thou Saviour of men, save us from trusting 
in anything but thee ! draw us after thee. Let us be 
emptied of ourselves, and then fill us with all peace 
and joy in believing; and let nothing separate us from 
thy love, in time or in eternity." How clearly he saw 
himself! How deep his contrition! How" comprehen- 
sive his prayer ! Truly he is now purged of his philo- 
sophy; so mucli so, that Peter Bohler himself, one 
, would think, must be satisfied. The folio wipg remarka- 
ble lines, in which Charles Wesley described what he 
passed through before he experienced salvation, as ac- 
curately expresses what John now feels : — 

Mj spirit be alarmed, 

And brought into distress ; 
He shook and bound the strong man, arm'd 

In his self-righteousness. 

Faded my virtuous show, — 

My form without the power; 
The sin- convincing spirit blew, 

And blasted every flower." 

His language, as given in the above letter, shows 
how terribly he was shaken, and how completely every 
flower of self-righteousness was blasted. " I feel that I 
am 'sold under sin.' I know that I deserve nothing 
but wrath, being full of all abominations ; and having 
no good thing in me, to atone for them, or remove the 
wrath of God." During the three days here mentioned, 



58 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

he was just where Paul was for the same length of 
time. Indeed, it is easy to see a very striking resem- 
blance between the case of John Wesley and that of 
Paul ; only John Wesley, I think, was a much more 
amiable character before his conversion than was Saul 
of Tarsus ; and he certainly might have said, as truly 
as did Paul, " touching the righteousness which is in 
the law blameless." But the blessed Jesus stripped 
them both of their filthy rags, and clothed them with 
the garments of salvation; but not till they saiu smdfelt, 
yea, and confessed, both tuJiat they were, and where they 
were. " I feel that I am sold under sin. I know that 
I deserve nothing but wrath," is the language of the 
man for whom the best of parents and the best of earth- 
ly schools had done their utmost, and who had done 
the utmost he could for himself And now, when the 
utmost has been done that man can do, — after the 
effort has continued for about thirty-five years, we find 
this same John Wesley sinking in utter despair, and 
exclaiming, " I know that I, too, deserve nothing but 
wrath, being full of all abominations." But just then, 
the sinking, despairing, helpless spirit says, "I hear a 
voice, (and is it not the voice of God) saying, * Believe, 
and thou shalt be saved.' " O glorious voice ! How 
many, as well as poor Wesley, have heard that same 
voice when just at the point of despair ! 

But let us follow him through these painful and 
mysterious struggles, which terminated on this memo- 
rable day, the 24th of May, 1738- He says, " I think 
it was about five this morning, that I opened my Testa- 
ment on these words, 2 Peter i. 4, Ta megisa Jiemin kai 
timia epaggelmata dedaretaij ina dia touton genesthe 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 59 

theids hoinonoi phitseos : ^ There are given unto us 
exceeding great and precious promises, even that ye 
should be partakers of the Divine nature.' Just as I 
Avent out, I opened it again on these words, * Thou art 
not far from the kingdom of God.' In the afternoon 
I was asked to go to St. Paul's. The anthem was, 
* Out of the deep have I called unto thee, O Lord : 
Lord, hear my voice ; O let thine ears consider well 
the voice of my complaint.' In the evening I went 
very unwillingly to a Society, in Aldersgate Street, 
where one was reading Luther's jDreface to the epistle 
to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he 
was describiug the change which God works in the 
heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely 
warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, in Christ alone 
for salvation : and assurance was given me that he had 
taken away 7ny sins, even mme, and saved me from the 
law of sin and death. I began to pray with all 
my might for those who had in a more especial manner 
despitefully used me and persecuted me. I then testi- 
fied openly to all there, what I now felt first in my 
heart. Thursday 25. The moment I awakened, 
^ Jesus Master,' was in my heart and in my mouth ; 
and I found all my strength lay in keeping my eye 
fixed upon him, and my soul waiting on him con- 
tinually. Being again at St. Paul's in the afternoon, 
I could taste the good word of God in the anthem, 
which began, ' My song shall be always of the loving 
kindness of the Lord : with my mouth will I ever be 
showing forth thy truth from one generation to 
another.' " 

One cannot but observe how appropriate the anthem 



60 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

was on the 24tli, and again on the 25th. I imagine I 
see the penitent Wesley, as he bows in that old cathe- 
dral, groaning out his deep, dolorous plaint before the 
mercy seat, and I seem to hear the rich, deep, melli- 
fluous tones of music as they fall in soft cadence upon 
his ear, and most touchingly express the language of 
his heart — " O Lord, hear my voice. O let thine ears 
consider well the voice of my complaint.' And the 
next day while, as a pardoned sinner, he worships in 
the same place, the same old organ, with increasing 
sweetness expresses what was then the very language 
of his heart. " My song shall be always of the loving 
kindness of the Lord : with my mouth will I ever be 
showing forth thy truth from one generation to 
another.'' One can hardly refrain from applying to 
that good old organ on that occasion what is said of 
the prophets : It spoke as it was moved by the Holy 
Ghost ; for the sentiments uttered in that music, and 
by the heart and lips of Wesley on that occasion, have 
proved to be truly prophetic ; for Wesley is, and still 
will be, " Showing forth God's truth from one genera- 
tion to another ;" and his songs, which are still sung 
by millions, and still will be, are " always of the 
loving kindness of the Lord." Hear how sweetly he 
now sings, in the following exquisitely beautiful hymn, 
437:— 

''Now I have found the ground wherein; 

Sure my soul's anchor may remain; 
The wounds of Jesus for my sin, 

Before the world's foundation Slain ; 
Whose mercy shall unshaken stay, 
When heaven and earth are fled away. 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 61 

Father, thine eveiiastino- grace 
Our scanty thought surpasses far; 

Thine heart still melts with tenderness ; 
Thine arms of love still open are, 

Returning sinners to receive, 

That merer they may taste and live 

love, thou bottomless abyss 

My sins are SAvallowed up in thee j 

Covered is my unrighteousness, 
Nor spot of guilt remains on me ; 

While Jesus' blood, through earth and skies, 

Mercy, free, boundless mercy, cries. 

By faith I plunge me in this sea, 
Here is my hope, my joy, my rest; 

Hither, when hell assails, I flee, 
I look into my Saviour's breast ; 

Away, sad doubt, and anxious fear, 

Mercy is all that's written there." 

Yes, " sad doubt and anxious fear " are now gone. 
We no more hear him complain of " continual sorrow 
and heaviness of heart." From his conversion till he 
fijiished his illustrious career, a period of almost 53' 
years, his soul was kept in peace, notwithstanding the 
wonderfully varied and trying scenes through which 
he was almost constantly passing. In the midst of 
them all he sweetly sang : — 

*' Though waves ^nd storms go o'er my head, 

Though strength, and health, and friends be gone ; 

Though joys be withered all, and dead, 
Though every comfort be withdrawn ; 

On this my steadfast soul -relies, — 

Father, thy mercy never dies." 

6 



62 POWER y/ITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

Of this state of soul, as all acquainted with him 
testify, his calm, cheerful, heavenly countenance, was 
the sure index. 

On the Sabbath following this great salvation, he 
says, " This day I preached in the morning at St. 
George's, Bloomsbury, on " This is the victory that 
overcometh the world, even our faith ;" and in the 
afternoon at the Chapel in Long Acre, on God's justi- 
fying the ungodly ; — the last time (I understand) I am 
to preach at either. " Not as I will, but as thou wilt." 

To this day that Church (with a few honorable ex- 
ceptions) prefers Ritualism, and other human inven- 
tions, to the glorious doctrine of justification by faith; 
for preaching which, she then closed her doors against 
John Wesley ; nor would he find as much favor within 
her pale to-day, as do ritualistic and semi-popish 
doctors. 

Now John Wesley has the peculiar power for which 
we have been seeking, and we shall soon see it glori- 
ously developed. But we cannot define, or even think 
of, power abstractly. Power must have something upon 
which to act ; and some kind of machinery, or medium 
through which to act. The lever, the power, the fnl- 
crum, and the weight, must go together to accomplish 
anything. The grand power, in a measure, is already 
committed to the Wesley's, but, preparatory to efficient 
operation there must be a further adjustment of the 
machinery, and some little hindrances must be cleared 
out of the way. This also God is now doing. The 
medium through which this power is to operate, is not 
ritxialism., and other trumpery of human invention. How 
it may best operate John Wesley is not yet quite clear. 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 63 

That he has the power, he knows ; and that the Church 
of his fathers has closed her doors against him, he also 
knows; and he can, and does say, "Not as I will, but 
as thou wilt,'' and God will adjust other matters in 
due time. A part of the divine arrangement, just at 
this point, is, that John Wesley shall retire for a short 
time to Germany. Accordingly, on the 13th of June, 
1738, he embarked at London, for the purpose of visit- 
ing Germany, to get and do good, and by the blessing 
of God, these ends were largely accomplished, as his 
journal shows. But, w^hile God is thus leading his 
servant about, and more fully preparing him for the 
great work before him, let us turn to another chosen 
vessel, who also is to be one of the first depositories of 
the peculiar power. 



CHAPTEK III. 

Whitefield's Conyersion — His first Sermon and its effects — 
Providential preparations for the development of the power 
— Whitefield in America, J. Wesley in Germany, and Charles 
Wesley in England — They again meet in London, and with 
about 60 other persons have a Lovefeast, and a baptism of the 
Spirit — Wonderful developments of the power in London and 
Bristol— Tho first Circuit— The first Methodist Church- 
Numerous incidents, extraordinary and interesting — The new 
way works so well the old parish plan is abandoned — John 
Wesley claims the world for his parish — Summing up — The 
conditions of power are specified in nine particulars — The 
sum ; doctrine^ experience^ and 'practice. These particulars are 
not peculiar to the minister; they are essential to the Christian 
character — An interesting sketch of the life of John Nelson 
is given in support of the argument. For the same purpose 
facts are now adduced from the experience of Luther and 
the history of his times — Finally, facts are adduced from 
Apostolic times — Paul's experience is shown to be essentially 
one with those preriousJy given. 

In the city of Gloucester, in the month of December, 
1714, George Whitefield was born. His circumstances 
in life gave no indications of future greatness. But 
the child grew, became remarkabl}^ serious, and served 
God according to the light he had. Finally, by a train 
of remarkable providences, this youth made his way to 
Oxford, and was entered at Pembroke College when 
he was about 18 years old. "About a year after/' 
C64) 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 65 

says Mr. Wesley, "he became acquainted with the 
Methodists, (so called,) whom from that time he loved 
as his own soul. By them he was convinced that we 
* must be born again,' or outward religion would profit 
us nothing. He joined with them in fasting on Wed- 
nesdays and Fridays, in visiting the sick and the 
prisoners, and in gathering up the very fragments of 
time that no moment might be lost.'^ * * 

" He was soon tried as with fire. Not only was his 
reputation lost, and himself forsaken by some of his 
dearest friends : but he was exercised wdth inward 
trials, and those of the severest kind. Many nights he 
lay sleepless upon his bed ; many days prostrate upon 
the ground. But after he had groaned several months 
under Hhe spirit of bondage,' God was pleased to re- 
move the heavy load, by giving him ^ the spirit of 
adoption,' enabling him, through a living faith, to lay 
hold on the Son of his love. However, it w^as thought 
needful, for the recovery of his health, which was much 
impaired, that he should go into the country. He 
accordingly went to Gloucester, where God enabled 
him to awaken several young persons." 

Being now urged to enter into holy orders, he finally 
yielded to the solicitations of the Bishop, and was or- 
dained deacon on Trinity Sunday, 1736. On the next 
Sunday he preached his first sermon in the Church of 
St. Mary le cript, Gloucester, to a crowded audience, 
in the church in which he had been consecrated to God 
.in his infancy. A short extract from his own account 
of this sermon is worthy of a place here: "Last Sun- 
day, in the afternoon, I preached my first sermon in 
the Church of St. Mary le cript, where I w^as baptized, 

6* 



66 POWER WITH GOD AND W^ITH MEN. 

and also first received the Sacrament of the Lord's Sup- 
per. Curiosity, as you may easily guess, drew a large con- 
gregation together on this occasion. The sight, at first, 
a little awed me ; but I was comforted with the heart- 
felt sense of the Divine presence, and soon found the 
unspeakable advantage of having been accustomed to 
public speaking when a boy at school, and of exhorting 
the prisoners, and poor people at their private houses, 
when at the University. By these means I was kept " 
from being daunted overmuch. As I proceeded I per- 
ceived the fire kindled, till at last, though so youug, 
and in the midst of a crowd who knew me when in my 
childish days, I trust I was enabled to speak with some 
degree of Gospel authority. Some few mocked, but 
most seemed for the present struck ; and I have since 
learned that a complaint was made to the Bishop that 
I drove fifteen mad the first sermon. The worthy pre- 
late wished the madness might not be forgotten before 
next Sunday." This extract I take from the Christian 
Guardian of Dec. 5, 1866. It is only necessary to say 
that the facts here recorded give striking evidence that 
Whitefield had already a considerable measure of the 
peculiar poiuer! 

The same providence that led the two Wesleys to 
America, now leads Whitefield to the same field of 
labor; so that in 1738 we find George Whitefield in 
America, John Wesley in Germany, and Charles Wes- 
ley in England, the latter laboring principally at Lon- 
don and Oxford. In this way God seems to indicate 
that the world is their parish, as John Wesley after- 
wards claimed it to be; hence they already pre-empt 
both hemispheres as God's inheritance, and as the fu- 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 67 

tiire possession of his church. For the development of 
the peculiar power, nothing less than the whole world 
was sufficient ; and it is a fact that from this time the 
work of culture has been gloriously progressing in the 
vast desert of the world ; so that now it is fast becom- 
ing the garden of the Lord. 

In December of this year, John Wesley and George 
Whitefield again meet in London. " Hearing that Mr. 
AVhitefield was arrived from Georgia/' says Mr. Wes- 
ley, "I hastened to London, and on Tuesday, 12, God 
gave us once more to take sweet counsel together." On 
the 1st of January, 1739, we once more find John and 
Charles Wesley, and George Whitefield all together in 
London ; and we shall soon see a grand development 
of the peculiar power. "Monday, Jan. 1, 1739," says 
Mr. Wesley, in his Journal, " Messrs. Hall, Kinchin, 
Ligham, Whitefield, Hutchins, and my brother Charles, 
were present at our love-feast in Fetter-lane, with about 
sixty of our brethren. About three in the morning, as 
we were continuing instant in prayer, the powder of God 
came mightily upon us, insomuch that many cried out 
for exceeding joy, and many fell to the ground. As 
soon as we recovered a little from that awe and amaze- 
ment at the presence of his Majesty, v/e broke out with 
one voice, ' We praise thee, O God ; we acknowledge 
thee to be the Lord.' " One might compare this with 
Acts iv. 31 ; nor is the history preceding and following 
in each case, less similar. I think this is the first in- 
stance in Methodist history of saints falling down in 
tlie meeting under the power of God. We shall soon 
see sinners fall under the same power, but it is worthy 
of remark that the saints fell first: this has always 



68 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

been the order, first the saints, then the sinners. A 
great many forget this order, or would have God to re- 
verse it ; nay, they seem to expect it to fall upon the 
sinner only, and never seem to imagine that they need 
the baptism at all ; whereas the power must always 
come upon the church before it can come upon the 
world. It is evident that He who formerly prepared 
his people at Jerusalem, for the work upon which they 
were about to enter, is now preparing his servants at 
London for a similar work. Being thus prepared, 
these holy men went forth and made full proof of their 
ministry, first in London, as the Apostles did in Jeru- 
salem, after they were endued with power from on high, 
as these men now were; and their immense labors, and 
the results thereof, were alike wonderful. London is 
stirred now as Jerusalem was of old. Whitefield flies 
from church to church, and the congregations so in- 
crease that no church will hold the multitudes that fol- 
low him. This fact first suggested the thought of 
preaching in the open air. " But," says Mr. Wesley, 
(Sermon 53, p. 472,) '^when he mentioned it to some 
of his friends, they judged it to be mere madness;'' so 
he did not carry it into execution till he left London. 
He now flies from London to Bristol, like Paul from 
Jerusalem to Illyricum, and at Bristol we leave him 
for the present, and will now turn to the only man liv- 
ing that could compete with him at this time, viz., 
John Wesley. 

We wdll now follow John a little while, that we may 
mark the peculiar power in its wonderful developments. 
*^ Sunday, 21. We were surprised in the evening, 
while I was expounding in the Minories. A well- 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 69 

dressed middle-aged woman suddenly cried out as in 
the agonies of death. She continued so to do for some 
time, with all the signs of the sharpest anguish of spirit. 
When she was a little recovered, I desired her to call 
upon me the next day. She then told me, that about 
three years before, she was under strong convictions of 
sin, and such terror of mind that she had no comfort in 
anything, nor any rest day or night; that she sent for 
the Minister of her parish, and told him the distress 
she was in, upon which he told her husband that she 
was stark mad, and advised him to send for a physiciaa 
immediately. A physician was sent for accordingly, 
who ordered her to be blooded, blistered, and so on." 
Truly the physician, the husband, and the minister of 
the parish, were "all physicians of no value," and one 
cannot but pity the poor woman that fell into their 
hands, especially w^hen it is remenAered that she had 
no better physicians for " about three years." Now, 
however, she falls into the hands of him who says, the 
world is his parish, and he directs her to the Great 
Physician, and she is healed. 

Now Mr. Wesley is urged to go to Oxford, and there 
we find him on March the second. Of this visit he 
makes the following record : — " A few names I foundr 
here also who had not denied the faith, neither been 
ashamed of their Lord, even in the midst of a perverse 
generation. And every day we were together we had 
a convincing proof, such as it had not before entered 
into our hearts to conceive, that ' He is able to save 
unto the uttermost all that come to God through Him.' 
One of the most surprising instances of his power wdiich 
I ever remember to have seen, was on the Tuesday 



70 POWER WITH GOB AND WITH MEN. 

following, when I visited one who was above measure 
enraged at this new way, and zealous in opposing it. 
Finding argument to be of no other effect than to in- 
flame her more and more, I broke off the dispute, and 
desired we might join in prayer, which she so far con- 
sented to as to kneel down. In a few minutes she fell 
into an extreme agony, both of body and soul, and 
soon after cried out with the utmost earnestness, ^ Now 
I know I am forgiven for Christ's sake.' Many other 
words she uttered to the same effect, witnessing a hope 
full of immortality. And from that hour God hath 
set her face as a flint to declare the faith which before 
she persecuted." Soon after, he had similar displays 
of this power in the house of this woman, who now 
preached to her neighbors as the Samaritan woman 
had to hers long before. John Wesley, too, is* soon 
in the midst of them, preaching the ^^new way,'' and 
''one who sat at a distance, felt, as it were, the piercing 
of a sword, and before she could be brought to another 
house, whither I was going, could not avoid crying out 
aloud, even in the street. But no sooner had we mad^ 
our request known to God, than he sent her help from 
his holy place." Truly the peculiar power is now 
exerting itself gloriously; but we "shall see greater 
things than these," for the machinery is not yet in 
perfect working order, nor are all the hindrances yet 
taken out of the way: human inventions and divine 
OT'dinances are not yet clearly distinguished. But God 
is leading his servants as they are "able to bear it;" 
he is leading just as fast as they are able to follow. It 
is now clearly seen, how^ever, at least by some, that the 
"new^ way" is a decided improvement upon the old 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 71 

practice of blood letting and blistering! And it is even 
preferable to John Wesley's arguments, logical though 
they were; for they, too, proved a failure, a perfect 
failure; only tending "to inflame more and more!" 
But the **new way" worked like a charm, giving 
"convincing proof, such as it had not before entered 
into -their hearts to conceive, that 'He is able to save 
unto the uttermost all that come to God through him.' " 
But the devil is also working in his way, nor is it a 
new way, any more than is that in which God is work- 
ing, though ignorant people call it new, just as they 
do God's way, though both are old ways, not new. 
On the 27th, he says, " I was with two persons, who 
I fear, are properly enthusiasts. For, first, they think 
to attain the end without the means ; which is enthu- 
siasm,^ properly so called. Again, they think them- 
selves inspired of God, and are not. But false, imagi- 
nary inspiration is enthusiasm. That there is only 
imaginary inspiration appears hence, it contradicts the 
Law and the Testimony." If such reasoning is lost 
upon enthusiasts, as it usually is, it maybe very useful 
to those who have not yet fallen into that snare of the 
devil. It is quite evident, however, that the old enemy 
could not take John Wesley in that snare, nor was 
this old deceiver any more successful when he 
approached him in the shape of a " French prophet." 
An instaace of this kind he mentions on the 28th of 
this month. " Having been long importuned thereto," 
he says, "I went about five in the evening, with four 
or five of my friends, to a house w^here was one of 
those commonly called French prophets. After a time 
she came in. She seemed about four or five and 



72 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

twenty, of an agreeable speech and behavior. She 
asked why we came. I said, 'to try the spirits whether 
they be of God.' Presently after she leaned back in 
her chair, and seemed to have strong workings in her 
breast, with deep sighings intermixed. Her head, and 
hands, and by turns every part of her body seemed 
also to be in a kind of convulsive motion." Aft'er a 
time she began to speak, and quoted scripture largely, 
and " all," says Mr. Wesley, " as in the person of 
God.'' Finally, '' two or three of our company were 
much affected and believed she spoke by the Spirit of 
God. But this was in no wise clear to me." Here 
follow his reasons, which like those specified in the 
case previously mentioned, are conclusive. I have 
mentioned these cases to show the workings of the 
devil, and to show how Mr. Wesley foiled all his 
workings, by Scripture and sound judgment, and also, 
to show that modern spiritualism has the same devil 
for its author that those workings had. I wish also to 
call attention to the fact, that those workings, which 
he rightly attributed to the Spirit of God, were essen- 
tially different from these clumsy imitations by the 
devil, especially as to the workings^ the prete7isio7is and 
the results. Indeed, it sometimes occurs that when the 
sinner is coming to Jesus, the last struggles of the 
devil, before being cast out, sometimes produce effects 
upon the body similar to those produced on the body 
of the pretended prophet, and that of the modern 
spiritualist ; but nobody pretends that this is the work 
of the spirit of God, nor do such persons make any 
such pretensions as do the pretended prophets ; more- 
over, the result in such cases is the salvation of the 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 73 

individual, who afterward is found humbly seated at 
tJie feet of Jesus " clothed and in his right mind ;" 
while spiritualists and false prophets, particularly 
" mediums," continue to be the subjects of such diabol- 
ical influences, from time to time, but converted 
people never, their characteristics are sobriety, righi- 
eoiisness, and godliness, " in this present world." 

While John Wesley was thus laboring vi'iih prudence, 
energy, and success ; and pushing the battle to the very 
gate of the enemy, particularly in London and Oxford, 
Charles was following with cautious step, though w^ith 
zeal and holy joy. As for Whitefield, he was in Bristol 
what Philip was in Samaria, in Bristol as in Samaria, 
" there was great joy ;" and there was considerable alarm 
also, in view of his w^onderful movements, and not a little 
opposition. But the opposition presented to his rapid 
and powerful movements seemed only to accelerate the 
motion ; for, " finding all the church doors to be closed 
in Bristol, on Wednesday 21st, at three in the after- 
noon he went to Kingswood, and preached in the open 
air to near two thousand people. On Friday he 
preached there to four or five thousand ; and on Sun- 
day to (it was supposed,) ten thousand. The number 
continually increased all the time he stayed in Bristol ; 
and a flame of holy love was kindled, which will not 
easily be put out." (Wesley's Sermons vol. 1, p. 472.) 
Having now discovered the way to outflank the enemy, 
namely, by taking to the open air w^hen the churches 
were closed against him, or when they would not con- 
tain the vast crowds desiring to hear the word of life, 
he is determined to attack London again. At the 
game time, he desires to keep the ground already takeir 

7 



74 POWER WITPI GOD AND WITH MEN. 

in Bristol and Kings wood, and to have the aggressive 
march continued. Hence he writes John Wesley with 
great urgency, to come to Bristol without delay. As 
John had also out-flanked the enemy, and taken 
advanced positions of great importance, both in Lon- 
don and Oxford, he hesitated to leave London at 
present; and his brother Charles and others decidedly 
objected. But after consultation and prayer, they all 
decided to allow their leader to depart, and Mr. Wes- 
ley himself, at length recognized the call as the call of 
God. Accordingly, he left London, and on Saturday, 
31st March, reached Bristol, and was soon in consulta- 
tion with Whitefield, who, of course, told him what 
great things God had been doing ; and leaving this 
important charge in the hands of his friend, Mr. 
Whitefield departed for London. 

Following these great reformers in their wonderful 
career, one is forcibly reminded of Luther and Melanc- 
thon, nor are the workings of Providence very dissimi- 
lar in each case. The same Providence that guided 
and defended the German reformers, now guides and 
defends these English reformers. 

But let us hear Mr. Wesley's reflections when com- 
mencing " this new period" of his life. 

[March, 1739.] "Saturday 31. In the evening I 
met Mr. Whitefield. I could scarce reconcile myself 
at first to this strange way of preaching in the fields, of 
which he set me an example on Sunday ; having been 
all my life (till very lately) so tenacious of every point 
relating to decency and order, that I should have 
thought the saving of souls almost a sin, if it had not 
been done in a church," that is, a certain building con- 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 75 

secrated by a bishop ! *' Till very lately," his conver- 
sion, and still more lately, the baptism which he expe- 
rienced in the love-feast in Fetter-lane, on the night of 
the first of January last, are the events here referred 
to, as also the teachings of the Holy Spirit, which he 
readily received after experiencing his regenerating 
and sanctifying influences on the occasion here speci- 
fied. And now being pretty w^ell freed from the tram- 
mels of human invention, and from the prejudices that 
they had produced, as also from all the slow and cum- 
bersome ceremonies of "Church order" and' "Church 
officers," the peculiar power will have a chance to ope- 
rate unrestrained ; and w^e may expect to see glorious 
doings. To this end let us follow our reformer in his 
onward march. On Monday, the second of Aj)ril, w^ith 
the example of Whitefield before him, and the example 
of our blessed Lord in the sermon on the mount, which 
he had been expounding the previous day, he says, 
" At four in the afternoon, I submitted to be more vile, 
and proclaimed in the highways the glad tidings of 
salvation, speaking from a little eminence in a ground 
adjoining to the city, to about three thousand people." 
His text on this occasion was, " The Spirit of the Lord 
is upon me, &c., Luke iv., 18-19. On Wednesday, the 
4th, he says, "At Baptist Mills, (a sort of suburb or 
village about half a mile from Bristol,) I offered the 
grace of God to about fifteen hundred persons from 
these words, *I will heal their backslidiugs, I will love 
them freely.' " On the evening of each day it was his 
custom to hold private, or, at least, less public meet- 
ings ; at which he made it his special business to care 
for those who had been either wounded, or wounded 



76 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

and healed in the open-air services. Hence on the 
evening of the second he held a meeting in Baldwin 
street, and on the evening of the fourth, at Baptist 
Mills, it would seem. He says, "three women agreed 
to meet together weekly with the same intention as 
those at London, viz : To confess their faults one to 
another, and pray one for another, that they may be 
healed. ' At eight, four young men agreed to meet in 
pursuance of the same design." This nucleus appears 
to have been formed in a different place, probably in 
Bristol, for he is flying from place to place almost night 
and day. On the 5th, he is " in Castle street," on the 
6th, " in Glouster-lane," on the 7th, Saturday, " at 
Weaver's Hill," where he " declared that Gospel to all, 
which is ' the power of God unto salvation to every one 
that believeth.' " Well, this is pretty fair for the first 
week after fairly breaking loose ; and now comes the 
first Sabbath upon which he adopted "this strange way 
of preaching in the fields." 

Of this Sabbath's work he has left us the following 
record: "Sunday 8th. At seven in the morning I 
preached to about a thousand persons at Bristol, and 
afterward to about fifteen hundred on the top of Han- 
nam Mount, Kings wood. I called to them in the words 
of the evangelical prophet, ' Ho ! every one that thirst- 
eth, come ye to the waters; come and buy wine and 
milk, without money and without price.' About five 
thousand were at Rose Green, in the afternoon, (on 
the other side of Kingswood,) among whom I stood 
and cried in the name of the Lord, ^ If any man thirst, 
let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth 
on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEE^^TH CEXTURY. 77 

flow rivers of living water.' '' It will be seen, Wesley- 
is now fairly broken loose, and that ''this strange way" 
works just as well in his hands as it did in the hands 
of Whitefield. On this holy Sabbath he proclaimed 
the "glad tidings" in Bristol, Kingswood, and Rose 
Green, to some seven or eight thousand. The reader 
is requested carefully to mark the facts, for in them 
we shall soon see wonderful displays of the peculiar 
power. Light bodies may be quickly put to the highest 
speed, but heavy bodies move slow at first. On the 
10th he is invited to go to Bath, where he oifers to 
about 1000 "the free grace of God to 'heal their back- 
slidings.' " And next morning he preached to over 
two thousand in the same place; and in the afternoon 
to about the same number at Baptist Mills, from, 
"Christ made of God unto us wisdom, and righteous- 
ness, and sanctification, and redemption. " "Saturday 
14th," he says, "I preached at the poor house ; three or 
four hundred were within, and more than twice that 
number without, to whom I explained those comfort- 
able words, 'when they had nothing to pay, he frankly 
forgave them both. ' Sunday 15th, I explained at 
seven, to five or six thousand persons, the story of the 
Pharisee and the Publican. About three thousand 
w^ere present at Hannam Mount. I preached at New 
Gate after dinner to a crowded congregation. Between 
iive and six we went to Rose Green : it rained hard at 
Bristol, but not a drop fell on us, while I declared to 
about five thousand, ' Christ, our wisdom, and righteous- 
ness, and sanctification, and redemption. ' I concluded 
the day by showing at the Society in Baldwin-street, 
that 'his blood cleanseth us from all sin.'" On this 

7* 



7o POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

day he preached five times, and three of his congrega- 
tions amounted to about thirteen or fourteen thousand ; 
how many were in the other two congregations we are 
not told. This was pretty good for one Sabbath, but 
the highest momentum and velocity of these move- 
ments is not yet reached. On Tuesday the 17th, while 
preaching in a house in Black-lane, the floor gave way 
under the weight of the congregation, the principal 
prop falling down with a " great noise," apparently in- 
dicating the wonderful yielding of false props that was 
about to take place ; but the courageous preacher and 
the anxious hearers continued till the service was closed. 
On the same evening, while expounding the fourth 
chapter of the Acts, in Baldwin-street, i\\Q peculiar power 
operated gloriously. Having expounded, Mr. Wesley 
says, "We then called upon God to confirm his word. 
Immediately one cried out aloud, with the utmost 
vehemence, even as in the agonies of death. But we 
continued in prayer till ' a new song was put in her 
mouth, a thanksgiving to our God.' Soon after, two 
other persons (well-known in this place as laboring to 
live in all good conscience tow^ard all men) were seized 
with strong pain, and constrained to 'roar for the dis- 
quietness of their heart.' But it was not long before 
they likewise burst forth in praise to God their Saviour." 
Soon after another "called upon God as out of the 
belly of hell, and in a short time he also was over- 
whelmed with joy and love, knowing that God had 
healed his backslidings. So many living witnesses 
hath God given that his hand is still * stretched out to 
Heal,' and that ^ signs and wonders are even now wrought 
by his holy child Jesus.' " On the 18th he received 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 79 

several into society, one of them a Quaker, who had 
been baptized the day before. One was scarcely able 
to speak or look up,'' being still in very great distress. 
But, he says, "we poured out our complaint before 
God'' till "she felt in herself that 'being justified by 
fiiith she had peace w^ith God through our Lord Jesus 
Christ.' " On the 21st, he says, "At Weaver's Hall a 
young man was suddenly seized with a violent tremb- 
ling all over, and in a few minutes sunk down to the 
ground. But we ceased not calling upon God, till he. 
raised him up full of 'peace and joy in the Holy 
Ghost.'" "On Easter day," he says, "it being a 
thorough rain, I could only preach at Newgate in the 
morning, and two in the afternoon ; in a house near 
Hannam Mount at eleven, and in one near Rose Green 
at five. At the Society in the evening, many Avere cut 
to the heart, and many comforted." "It being a 
thorough rain," this is all he could do this day, that 
is, preach five times, and "many were cut to the heart 
and many comforted!" 

He still desires to preach in the churches, probably 
from a desire to reach a class that he was not likely to 
reach in the open air. Hence, being repeatedly urged 
to go to Pensford, about five miles from Bristol, he 
" sent to the minister to ask leave to preach in the 
church," but having waited some time, and having re- 
ceived no answer, he took the field at Pensford also, 
where on the 23d he preached from, " If any man 
thirst let him come unto me and drink." At four in 
the afternoon, he "preached in a convenient place near 
Bristol to about three thousand." On Tuesday morn- 
ing, " he preached at Bath to about a thousand. And 



80 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

at four in the afternoon to the poor colliers, at a place 
about the middle of Kiugswood, called Two-Mile-Hill. 
In the evening at Baldwin street, a young man, after 
a sharp, though short agony, both of body and mind, 
found his soul filled with peace, knowing in whom he 
had believed." On the 25th, he says, " while I was 
preaching at Newgate, on these words, 'He that be- 
lieveth hath everlasting life,' I was insensibly led, with- 
out any previous design, to declare strongly and ex- 
plicitly, that God willeth ' all men to be thus saved ;' 
and to pray, that 4f this were not the truth of God, he 
would not suffer the blind to go out of the way ; but if 
it were, he would bear witness to his word.' Immedi- 
ately one, and another, and another, sunk to the earth; 
they dropped on every side as if thunder-struck. One 
of them cried aloud. We besought God in her behalf, 
and he turned her heaviness into joy. A second being 
in the same agony, we called upon God for her also ; 
and he spoke peace to her soul. In the evening I w^as 
again pressed in spirit to declare, that * Christ gave 
himself a ransom for all.' And almost before we called 
upon him to set to his seal, he answered. One was so 
wounded by the sword of the spirit, that you would 
have imagined she could not live a moment. But im- 
mediately his abundant kindness was showed, and she 
loudly sang of his righteousness. Friday 26. All New- 
gate rang with the cries of those whom the word of God 
cut to the heart, two of whom were in a moment filled 
with joy, to the astonishment of those who beheld 
them." On Sunday, the 28th, he commenced the day 
in Bristol by preaching to about four thousand. "At 
that hour," he says, " it was tliat one who had long 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 81 

continued in sin, from a despair of finding mercy, re- 
ceived a clear sense of God's pardoning love, and power 
to sin no more/' Being invited to supply the place of 
a minister, who was sick, at Clifton, about a mile from 
Bristol, he preached there twice, and officiated at a 
burial service. Between these services he preached 
near Hannam Mount to about three thousand. From 
Clifton he went to Rose Green, and preached to about 
seven thousand. From Rose Green he went to Glou- 
cester-lane Society, and, finally, he held a love-feast in 
Baldwin street. Hence, he had eight services this day, 
including the burial service. Upon this he has simply 
this comment, " O how has God renewed my strength, 
who used ten years ago to be so faint and weary with 
preaching ^mc6 in one day!" It should be observed 
that Mr. Wesley is always careful to give God credit 
for all blessing, both temporal and spiritual. Those 
who are ever and anon elevating natural laws into the 
place of Deity, would do well to learn a lesson from 
him in this particular also. The love-feast here men- 
tioned is the first that ever was held in Bristol, and it 
was held in the sacred place where the peculiar poiver 
was first witnessed in its extraordinary operations, con- 
vincing and converting sinners ; and it came in answer 
to the special prayer, that God would "confirm his 
word." He preached in faith, and prayed in faith, 
and the result was as here stated. 

The extraordinary efiects produced upon sinners 
gave great ofience to some. One of these was a 
physician, who thought it was fraud. But when he 
saw one he had known for many years, and who was 
wonderfully aflTected while Mr. Wesley was preaching 



82 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

at Newgate, " he could hardly believe his own eyes and 
ears. He went and stood close to her, and observed 
every symptom, till great drops of sweat ran down her 
face, and all her bones shook. He then knew not 
what to think, being clearly convinced it was not 
fraud, nor yet any natural disorder. But when her 
soul and body were healed in a moment, he acknow- 
ledged the finger of God. Tuesday, May the first, 
many were ofiended again, and, indeed, much more 
than before, for at Baldwin street, my voice could 
scarce be heard amidst the groanings of some, and the 
cries of others calling aloud to ' Him that is mighty to 
save.' I desired all that were sincere of heart, to 
beseech with me the Prince exalted for us, that he 
would * proclaim deliverance to the captives.' And 
he soon showed that he heard our voice. Many of 
those who had been long in darkness saw the dawn of 
a great light, and ten persons, I afterward found, then 
began to say in faith, ' My Lord and my God.' A 
Quaker who stood by was not a little displeased, at 
the dissimulation of those creatures, and was biting 
his lips and knitting his brows, when he dropped down 
as if thunderstruck. The agony he was in was even 
terrible to behold. We besought God not to lay folly 
to his charge, and he soon lifted up his head and cried 
aloud. * Now I know thou art a prophet of the Lord.' " 
Being still at Newgate on" the Second of May, where 
the work is still going on gloriously, he says, ^^ I was 
desired to step into a house, to see a letter wrote against 
me, as a * deceiver of the people ' by teaching that 
\ God willeth all men to be saved.' One who had long 
asserted the contrary was there, when a young woman 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY 83 

came in all in tears, and in deep anguish of spirit. 
She said she had been reasoning with herself, how these 
things could be, till she was perplexed more and 
more ; and she now found that the spirit of God was de- 
parted from her. We began to pray, and she cried 
out, ' He is come ! He is come ! I again rejoice in 
God my Saviour.' Just as we rose from giving thanks, 
another person reeled four or five steps, and then 
droj^ped down. We prayed with her, and left her 
strongly convinced of sin, and earnestly groaning for 

deliverance." The case of '^ J n H n," as it 

occurred at Baldwin street the previous night, is 
w^orthy of notice. " He w^as (I understood,) a man 
of regular life and conversation, one who constantly 
attended the public prayers and sacrament, and was 
zealous for the church, and against dissenters of every 
denomination. Being informed that the people fell 
into strange fits at the societies, he came to see and 
judge for himself But he was less satisfied than 
before, insomuch that he went about to his acquaint- 
ances, one after another, till one in the morning, and 
labored above measure to convince them that it was a 
delusion of the devil. We were going home when 

one met us in the street and informed us, that J n 

H. was fallen raving mad. It seems that he had sat 
dow^n to dinner, but had a mind to end a sermon he 
had borrowed on Salvation by Faith. In reading the 
last page he changed color, fell off* his chair, and began 
screaming terribly, and beating himself against the 
ground. The neighbors were alarmed and flocked 
together to the house. Between one and tw^o I came 
in, and found him on the 'floor, the room being full of 



84 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

people, whom his wife would have kept out ; but he 
cried aloud, ' No, let them all come, let all the world 
see the just judgment of God.' Two or three men 
were holding him as well as they could. He immedi- 
ately fixed his eyes on me, and stretching out his hand, 
cried, ' Ay, this is he who I said was a deceiver of the 
people, but God has overtaken me. I said it was all 
a delusion, but this is no delusion.' He then roared 
out, * O thou devil ! Thou cursed devil ! Yea thou 
legion of devils ! Thou canst not stay. Christ 
will cast thee out. I know his work is begun. 
Tear me to pieces if thou wilt, but thou canst 
not hurt me.' He then beat himself against the 
ground again, his breast heaving at the same time, 
as in the pangs of death, and great drops of sweat trick- 
ling down his face. We all took ourselves to prayer. 
His pangs ceased, and both his body and soul were set 
at liberty." In Luke ix. 42, a similar case is recorded. 
"And as he was yet coming, the devil threw him 
down and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean 
spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again 
to his father." To all who are not infidels, this text 
will be a satisfactory explanation of the above and 
similar cases recorded by Mr. Wesley and others. It 
was to " cast out devils and heal the sick," that Jesus 
sent out his servants ; and for this very purpose it was 
that they received the peculiar power of which we 
speak ; not to advocate certain creeds and perform cer- 
tain ceremonies ; any ignoramus or imposter could do 
this, but none but such as have the peculiar power can 
" cast out devils and heal the sick," the sin-sick soul. 
That God gives this power, and that he gives it for this 



KEFOPvMATIOX OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 85 

very purpose is the unmistakable declaration of his 
own word. See Luke ix. 1, 2. * Mark iii. 13, and vii. 
7. Also Matt. X. 1. Bodily sickness was also healed 
as a sign of the healing of the soul. And in the above, 
and many other cases stated by Mr. Wesley, both body 
and soul were healed in an instant. As to who they 
are to whom Jesus entrusts this powxr, or through 
whom he exerts it, we shall see pretty soon; in the 
meantime we Avill follow our great reformer a little 
farther befor-e w^e sum up ; for we desire to give such 
an array of facts as shall be overwhelming — yea, irre- 
sistible. 

Though we must pass over much of the journal that 
is very interesting, we will not omit the following, on 
p. 131, Vol. Ill : "I was preparing to set out for Pens- 
ford, having now had leave to preach in the church,* 
when I received the following note : 'Sir, our minister 
having been informed you are beside yourself, does, 
not care you should preach in any of his churches.' I 
went, however, and on Priest Down, about half a mile 
from Pensford, preached Christ our * Wisdom, right- 
eousness, sanctification, and redemption.' " Thus he 
gave the peojole of Pensford a good chance to judge 
w hether he was " beside himself." We think that it 
is not often that cfi^azy men display as good judgment 
as John Wesley displayed on this occasion, and on 
many other similar occasions. " I went to Bath," he 
continues, " but was not suffered to be in the meadow 
where I w^as before, which occasioned the offer of a 
much more convenient place, where I preached Christ 
to about a thousand souls." The 9th of May, 1739, is 
a memorable day, because on that day the first move- 



86 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

ment was made to build the first Methodist church, or 
" room/' as he called it, that ever was built upon the 
earth. Little did Mr. Wesley, or any other man, then 
know that Methodist churches would soon dot the face 
of the earth all over. Such, however, is the fact. But 
let us hear Mr. Wesley's own record of this interesting 
event. " Wednesday, 9th, we took possession of a piece 
of ground near St. James' church-yard, in the Horse- 
Fair, where it was designed to build a room, large 
enough to contain both the societies of Nicholas and 
Baldwin street, and such of their acquaintance as 
might desire to be present with them at such times as 
the Scripture was expounded. And on Saturday, 12th, 
the first stone was laid, with the voice of praise and 
thanksgiving." * * * * "Money, it is true, I had not, 
nor any human prospect or probability of procuring 
it ; but I knew *the earth is the Lord's, and the full- 
ness thereof;' and in His name set out, nothing doubt- 
ing." Some would consider this to be rather a singular 
provision for building a church ! but the sequel shows 
that it proved quite sufficient. Having laid the founda- 
tion of the material temple, he proceeds with the spirit- 
ual temple thus : " In the evening while I was declar- 
ing that Jesus Christ had given himself a ransom for 
all, three persons, almost at once, sunk down as dead, 
having all their sins set in array before them. But in 
a short time they were raised up, and knew ' that the 
Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world,' 
had taken away their sins." He now tells us what his 
" ordinary employment" was about this time, specify- 
ing when and where he held each meeting; but for the 
sake of brevity we have counted, and will simply give 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 87 

the round sum of each day's work, viz : On Sunday he 
preached /?;6 times, and on every other day three times, 
the last meeting usually long, often continuing to a 
very late hour — sometimes till morning — not being 
able to dismiss ; such was the intensity of the religious 
feeling. This is what he calls his " ordinary employ- 
ment." Some would consider it extraordinary; indeed, 
some said he was "beside himself!" 

Occasionally he selected a subject that fell with un- 
pleasing weight upon objectors and persecutors. The 
following is an instance : At Newgate, on the 16th, his 
text was John vii. 7, with which he connected the 12th 
verse. A sermon preached by John Wesley from these 
verses must have been as scathing to some of his coun- 
trymen, as was Stephen's sermon to his countrymen 
just before they stoned him to death ; and the sequel 
seems to favor such an opinion, for the result is thus 
recorded in his journal : " After sermon, I was informed 
that the sheriffs had ordered I should preach here, for 
the future, but once a week." On this order he has 
simply this reflection, ** Yea, and this is once too often 
* if he deceiveth the people,' but if otherwise why not 
once a day?" From this keen, and yet just, rebuke 
one can easily imagine how he wielded his sharp sword 
when preaching from^the above text. Even the timidi- 
ty of his persecutors, as seen in their going so far, and 
yet no farther, only exposed them still more to the 
keen edge of the sword that he wielded. His coolness, 
his clear, penetrating thought, his classical polish, and 
his aeuie logic, only tended to make his sharp reproofs 
still sharper, especially when he chose to use a little 
well-timed wit, which he frequently did with fine effect. 



88 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

While the work was thus gloriously progressing, and 
signs and wonders were being wrought in the name of 
Jesus, Mr. Wesley was called upon to answer numerous 
enquiries and objections, both verbal and written, re- 
garding the extraordinary exercises of some. After 
stating at some length his answers to such enquiries 
and objections, which are very judicious, he says, " To- 
day, Monday, 21st, our Lord answered for himself. 
For while I was enforcing these words, * Be still and 
know that I am God,' he began to make bare his arm, 
not in a close room, neither in private, but in the open 
air, and before more than two thousand witnesses. 
One, and another, and another, was struck to the earth, 
exceedingly trembling at the presence of his power. 
Others cried with a loud and bitter cry, •' What must 
we do to be saved V And in less than an hour seven 
persons, wholly unknown to me till that time, were re- 
joicing and singing, and with all their might giving 
thanks to the God of their salvation. In the evening 
I was interrupted at Nicholas street, almost as soon as 
I had begun to speak, by the cries of one who was 
* pricked to the heart,' and strongly groaned for pardon 
and peace. Yet I went on to declare what God had 
already done in proof of that important truth, that he 
is * not willing any should perish,^ but that all should 
come to repentance.' Another person dropped down 
close to one who was a strong asserter of the contrary 
doctrine. While he stood astonished at the sight, a 
little boy near him was seized in the same manner. A 
young man who stood up behind, fixed his eyes on him, 
and sank down himself as one dead, but soon began to 
roar out, and beat himself against the ground so that 



tlEFORMATIOX OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 89 

six men could scarcely hold him. His name was 

Thomas Maxfield. Except J n H n, I never 

saw one so torn of the evil one. Meantime many- 
others began to cry out to the * Saviour of all/ that he 
would come and help them, insomuch that all the 
house (and, indeed all the street for some space) was 
in an uproar. But we continued in prayer, and before 
ten, the greater part found rest to their souls.'' One 
being seized by conviction, "ran out of the society 
with all haste that she might not expose herself. But 
the hand of God followed her still ; so that after going 
a few steps she was forced to be carried home, and 
when there, grew^ worse and worse; she was in a violent 
agony when we came. We called upon God and her 
soul found rest. About twelve, I was greatly impor- 
tuned to go and visit one more person. She had only 
one struggle after we came, and was then filled with 
peace and joy. I think, twenty-nine in all had their 
heaviness turned into joy this day." We may set this 
down as a pretty good day's work, ending sometime 
after midnight, I know not how long, only it was about 
midnight that he was sent for to see this last person. 
But he is not laid up the next day ; on the contrary, we 
find him still urging on with unfaltering step, doing 
what he calls his " ordinary work," preaching to 
about a thousand in Bath, among whom were "several 
gay things," which, with others, he tried to alarm from 
the text, " Awake, thou that sleepest," &c. " One 
came in deep despair, but after an hour spent in 
prayer, went away in peace." His keen eye observing 
every movement, he is always prepared with "a por- 
tion in due season." Hence he says, " Having ob- 

8* 



90 POWEK WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

served in many a zeal which did not suit with the sweet- 
ness and gentleness of love, I preached at Eose Green, 
on those words, ' Ye know not what manner of spirit ye 
are of; for the Son of man is not come to destroy 
men's lives, but to save them.' At the society in the 
evening, eleven were deeply convinced of sin, and 
soon after comforted." It will be observed that the 
grain cut down in the fields during the day, is care- 
fully gatherd and secured every evening. This work 
was done " in the societies." To all who labor in the 
same vineyard we will only say, " go thou and do 
likewise." 

" Monday, 28. I began preaching at Weaver's Hall, 
at eleven in the forenoon, where two persons were 
enabled to cry out in faith, ' My Lord and my God,' as 
were seven during the sermon in the afternoon, before 
several thousand witnesses, and ten in the evening at 
Baldwin-street, of whom two were children." On Sun- 
day, June 3rd, he preached to about six thousand 
persons in the morning. At Hannam Mount he 
preached in the forenoon ; in the afternoon he preached 
at Rose Green to, he thinks, " eight or nine thousand." 
"In the evening," he says, "not being permitted to 
meet in Baldwin-street, we met in the shell of our new 
society room. The Scripture which came in course to 
be explained, was, * Marvel not if the world hate you.' 
We sung, 

* Arm of the Lord awake, awake ; 

Thine own immortal strength put on, 
With terror clothed, hell's kingdom shake, 

And cast thy foes with fury down.' " 

This is the first Methodist Church that ever was 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY, 91 

built. " The first stone was laid " on the 13th of May, 
1739, and the first sermon was preached in it on the 
3rd of June following, from these words: " Marvel not 
if the world hate you." Then as though they would 
hurl defiance at the world, and at every other opposing 
power, they sang as above. Charles Wesley is the 
author of this bold and spirited effusion. Hence we 
learn that, even at this early period, the Methodists 
were singing his hymns in their public worship ; nor 
have they lacked a sufficient variety for every occasion, 
however peculiar, from then till now. "Not being 
permitted to meet in Baldwin-Street," they were glad 
to crowd into " the shell " of their new building, Avhich 
the zeal of these young converts, and that of their 
spiritual father had hurried up in so short a time. 
And joyfully did they worship in " the shell " of that 
humble structure, for God was with them, as Mr. 
Wesley testifies in these words, " * And God, even our 
own God,' gave us his blessing." One may observe, 
that as they were driven from the churches of their 
fathers, and even from meadows, fields, and streets ; 
yea, and even from commons, God always opened some 
other place for them, and marvellously overuled these 
painful circumstances and cruel persecutions, to call 
out their energies, and hurry forward new churches ; 
and thus forward his own gracious purposes, in sepa- 
rating them from what would only have entangled his 
servants in their glorious work of founding a system 
that was to fill the whole earth ; though neither its 
friends nor its enemies ever dreamt of such a thing. 
It was this that led John Wesley to sing so sweetly 
of God's providence ; take a verse as an instance: 



92 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

'< Leave to his sov'reign sway- 
To choose and to command : 

So shalt thou wond'ring own his way, 
How wise, how strong his hand 

Far, far above thy thought 
His counsel shall appear, 

When fully he the work hath wrought 
That caused thy needless fear." 

Observing the same providence, Charles sang as 
sweetly as his brother, and much more abundantly. 
Take a single verse in proof of this also : 

"When passing through the watery deep, 

I ask in faith thy promised aid ; 
The waves an awful distance keep, 

And shrink from my devoted head: 
Fearless, their violence I dare; 
They cannot harm, for God is there." 

While Mr. Wesley's enemies are determined to drive 
him from open-air preaching as well as from the 
churches of his fathers, he is equally determined that 
they shall not. In proof of this we give the following 
quotations: after which we will sum up, and point out 
the peculiar power, vv^hose wonderful developments we 
have been witnessing. '* Monday, June 4. — Many 
came to me and earnestly advised me not to preach 
abroad in the afternoon, because there was a combina- 
tion of several persons who threatened terrible things. 
This report being spread abroad, brought many thither 
of the better sort of people, (so called,) and added I 
believe, more than a thousand to the ordinary congre- 
gation. The Scripture to which, not my choice, but 
the providence of God, directed me, was, * Fear not 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 93 

thou, for I am with thee ; be not dismayed, for I am 
thy God. I will strengthen thee; yea, I will up- 
hold thee with the right hand of my righteousness/ 
The power of God came with his word ; so that none 
scoffed, or interrupted, or opened his mouth." Thus 
faith, grace and providence, again triumph. 

The next day, however, Tuesday, the fifth, his ene- 
mies are permitted to go a little further, but it is only 
that their disposition and folly may be further mani- 
fested. The following interesting scene, in which the 
noted functionary. Beau Nash, is the principal actor, 
is presented in all its vividness, in the foUow^ing ex- 
tract, which I take from Mr. Wesley's Journal, vol. iii. 
p. 136. " There was great expectation at Bath of what 
a noted man was to do there ; and I was much intreat- 
ed not to preach, because no one knew what might 
happen. By this report I also gained a much larger 
audience, among whom wxre many of the rich and 
great. I told them plainly, the Scripture had con- 
cluded them all under sin, — high and low, rich and 
poor, one with another. Many of them seemed to be a 
little surprised, and were sinking apace into serious- 
ness, when their champion appeared, and coming close 
to me, asked by w^hat authority I did these things. I 
replied ' By the authority of Jesus Christ, conveyed to 
me by the (now) Archbishop of Canterbury, when he 
laid his hands upon me, and said, ^ Take thou authori- 
ty to preach the Gospel.' He said, * This is contrary 
to act of Parliament: this is a conventicle.' I an- 
swered, * Sir, the conventicles mentioned in the act (as 
the preamble shows) are seditious meetings ; but this 
is not such ; here is no shadow of sedition ; therefore, 



94 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

it is not contrary to that act/ He replied, ' I say it is: 
and, beside, your preaching frightens people out of 
their wits/ * Sir, did you ever hear me preach ?' 'No.' 

* How, then, can you judge of what you never heard T 

* Sir, by common report.' * Common report is not 
enough. Give me leave, sir, to ask. Is not your name 
Nash ?' ' My name is Nash.' ' Sir, I dare not judge 
of you by common report : I think it not enough to 
judge by.' Here he paused a while, and, having re- 
covered himself, said, * I desire to know what this peo- 
ple comes here for:' upon which one replied, 'Sir, leave 
him to me: let an old woman answer him. You, Mr. 
Nash, take care of your body ; we take care of our 
souls ; and for the food of our souls we come here.' He 
replied not a word, but went away. As I returned, the 
street was full of people, hurrying to and fro, and 
speaking great words. But when any of them asked, 
' which is he T and I replied, ' I am he,' they were im- 
mediately silent. Several ladies following me into Mr. 
Merchant's house ; the servant told me there were some 
wanted to speak to me. I went to them, and said, ' I 
believe, ladies, the maid mistook ; you only wanted to 
look at me.' I added, ' I do not expect that the rich 
and great should want either to speak with me, or to 
hear me ; for I speak the plain truth, a thing you hear 
little of, and do not desire to hear.' A few more w^ords 
passed between us, and I retired." 

On the 7th of June we find him preaching on Priest 
Down, from " What must I do to be saved ?" " In the 
midst of the prayer after sermon, two men," he says, 
" began singing a ballad. After a few mild words, (for 
I saw they were angry,) used without effect, we all 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 95 

began singing a psalm, which put them utterly to si- 
lence. We then poured out our souls in prayer for 
them, and they appeared altogether confounded/' 
Neither the praying, nor the " mild words," even of a 
Wesley, could silence two ballad singers ; but the sing- 
ing of fifty or a hundred young converts, could, and 
did silence them ; and this being done, the conquerors 
" poured our their souls in prayer" for the conquered ; 
the result was, they were " altogether confounded ;" 
and w^ell they might be, for this was a mode of warfare 
that they neither understood nor expected ! They 
were " outflanked !" 

That John Wesley and his noble coadjutors, now 
have " power with God and with men," is as certain as 
are the profoundly interesting facts that have passed 
under review ; nor is it less evident, that he was desti- 
tute of tiiis power previous to the period which we 
have specified. To establish these two grand points, it 
will be remembered, is the end for which we have ad- 
duced the facts. 

On the 11th, he says, "I received a pressing letter 
from London, (as I had several others before,) to come 
thither as soon as possible, our brethren in Fetter-lane 
being in perfect confusion for want of my presence and 
advice. I therefore preached in the afternoon, on these 
words : 'I take you to record this day, that I am pure 
from the blood of all men ; for I have not shunned to 
declare unto you all the counsel of God.' After ser- 
mon I commended them to the grace of God, in whom 
they had believed. Surely God hath yet a work to do 
in this place. I have not found such love, no, not in 
England ; nor so childlike, artless, teachable a temper, 



96 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

as he hath given to this people. Yet, during this whole 
time, I had many thoughts concerning the unusual 
manner of my ministering among them. But after fre- 
quently laying it before the Lord, and calmly weigh- 
ing whatever objections I heard against it, I could not 
but adhere to what I had written to a friend, who had 
freely spoken his sentiments concerning it. An extract 
of that letter I here subjoin, that the matter may be 
placed in a clear light." And for the same reason, viz: 
*^ that the matter may be placed in a clear light," we 
will now give the substance of this remarkable and 
very important letter : 

" Dear Sir, — The best return I can make for the kind 
freedom you use, is to use the same to you. O may 
God whom we serve sanctify it to us both, and teach 
us the whole truth as it is in Jesus ! 

" You say you cannot reconcile some parts of my be- 
haviour with the character I have long sustained. No, 
nor ever will. Therefore I have disclaimed that char- 
acter on every possible occasion. I told all on our ship, 
all at Savannah, all at Frederica, and that over and 
over, in express terms, * I am not a Christian ; I only 
follow after ; if happily I may attain it.' When they 
urged my works and self-denial, I answered short, 
* Though I give all my goods to feed the poor, and my 
body to be burned, and have not charity, I am noth- 
ing.' If they added, ' Nay, but you could not preach 
as you do, if you were not a Christian ;' I again con- 
fronted them with St. Paul: * Though I speak with the 
tongues of men and of angels and have not charity, I 
am nothing.' * * * * If you ask on what principle, 
then, I acted? it was this : a desire to be a Christian, 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 97 

and a conviction that whatever I judge conducive 
thereto, that I am bound to do/' To the advice to 
" settle in college/' or " to accept of a cure of souls," 
he gives a reply as clear and as conclusive. To the ob- 
jection that he entered " other men's parishes, to sing 
psalms and pray, and expound the Scriptures, to Chris- 
tians who were not of his charge," he replies thus : 

" Permit me to speak plainly. If by Catholic prin- 
ciples you mean any other than Scriptural, they weigh 
nothing with me : I allow no other rule, whether of 
faith or practice, than the Holy Scriptures : but on 
Scriptural principles, I do not think it hard to justify 
whatever I do. God, in Scripture, commands me, 
according to my power, to instruct the ignorant, reform 
the wicked, confirm the virtuous. Man forbids me to 
do this in another's parish ; that is, in effect, to do it 
at all ; seeing I have now no parish of my own, nor 
probably ever shall. Whom, then, shall I hear, God, 
or man ? * If it be just to obey man rather than God 
judge you. A dispensation of the Gospel is committed 
unto me; and woe is me, if I preach not the Gospel.' 
But where shall I preach it upon the principles you 
mention ? Why, not in Europe, Asia, Africa, or 
America ; not in any of the Christian parts, at least, 
of the inhabitable earth. For all these are, after a 
sort, divided into parishes. If it be said, * Go back, 
then, to the heathens from whence you came :' nay, 
but neither could I now (on your principles) preach 
to them ; for all the heathens in Georgia belong to the 
parish either of Savannah or Frederica." '* On Cath- 
olic principles " Mr. Wesley's friend could not justify 
his (Mr. Wesley's) conduct, when he sung psalms and 

9 



V6 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

expounded the Scriptures in oilier men^s parishes ! But 
in his laconic and forcible manner he disposes of 
" Catholic principles " by simply substituting " Scrip- 
tural principles " for what his friend called " Catholic 
principles." In this way Mr. Wesley did not think it 
hard to justify whatever he did. And as to the parish 
question, that is disposed of thus : " Suffer me now to 
tell you my principles in this matter. I look upon all 
the world as my parish ; thus far I mean, that, in 
whatever part of it I am, I judge it meet, right, and 
my bounden duty to declare, unto all that are 
willing to hear, the glad tidings of salvation. 
This is the work which I know God has called me to, 
and sure I am that his blessing attends it." It will 
be seen that what he here urges in his own defence 
contains the substance of what he ever after recognized 
as " marks " of a call to the ministry, and they are 
still the '' marks " which our Church requires in all 
whom she receives into that holy office — the Divine 
call, the Christian experience, the gifts, and the fruits, 
(See Discipline, p. 60.) Mr. Wesley now returns the 
kindness of his friend by the following faithful admo- 
nitions and warning : " If you ask how can this be ? 
* How can one do good, of whom men say all manner 
of evil f I will put you in mind, (though you once 
knew this, yea, and much established me in that great 
truth,) the more evil men say of me for my Lord's 
sake, the more good will he do by me. That it is for 
his sake, I know, and He knoweth, and the event 
agreeth thereto ; for He mightily confirms the words 
I speak, by the Holy Ghost given unto those who hear 
them. O, my friend, my heart is moved toward you 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 99 

I fear you have herein ' made shipwreck of the faith.' 
I fear, * Satan transformed into an angel of light/ hath 
assaulted you and prevailed also. I fear, that offspring 
of hell, worldly or mystic prudence, has drawn you 
away from the simplicity of the gospel. How else 
could you ever conceive that the being reviled and 
* hated of all men,' should make us less fit for our 
Master's service ? How else could you ever think of 
saving yourself and them that hear you, without 
being ^ the filth and off-scouring of the world T To 
this hour this Scripture is true ; and I therein rejoice, 
yea, and will rejoice. Blessed be God, I enjoy the re- 
proach of Christ." 

It will be seen, that the position here, taken by Mr. 
AVesley, especially with regard to the parish question, 
is precisely the same as that which Rev. Mr. Tyng and 
others, after so long a time, find it necessary for them 
to take. We are glad that they at length recognize 
the correctness of Mr. Wesley's position. " Better late 
than never." 

From the very interesting historic facts which have 
passed under review, we learn the following particu- 
lars, viz : Bristol, with its surrounding towns and 
country for about five miles, formed the first metho- 
dist Circuit in the world. John Wesley w^as the 
preacher in charge, and God Almighty made the 
appointment. The Circuit was thoroughly w^orked, 
and the Itinerant j^lctn thoroughly tested by this first 
Itinerant preacher. He preached three times every 
week-day, and five times on the Sabbath, at least this 
was his " ordinary work." His place of worship, for 
the most part, was the open air, on the hill-top, on the 



100 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

common, in the meadow, or in the streets and lanes. 
The meadow, it should be observed, was considered too 
good for this Itinerant and his followers ; hence they 
were indulged with that delightful place only a few 
times, and then excluded, as they had been from the 
churches. In addition to these public labors, this 
preacher had to meet the societies, made up of young 
converts ; this he did usually at night, it not being 
convenient to preach in the open air during the night 
season. In this, as in other things, he observed great 
economy. He also went from house to house — and 
that by night and by day — praying with penitents, es- 
pecially with those who v/ere ^^ grievously vexed with 
a devil.'' In dealing with this old enemy, however, 
he had a short and easy method : while others were 
blistering, blooding, &c., &c., he simply fell upon his 
knees and applied to the Saviour whom he preached, 
imploring help ; nor did he cry in vain, for the salva- 
tion was alike instant and glorious.- In addition to all 
this, he had to answer questions and meet objections 
which came thick and fast from near and from far, and 
which furnished a large amount of work for his mind, 
his tongue, and his pen. But this, also, God overruled 
for good, for these answers forma most interesting part 
of his journal, and in them may be found an answer 
to almost every question, and every objection, that is 
started at the present day. He Avho had his first 
"parish" in Savannah, now claims the world for his 
*' parish," and will " allow no other rule, whether of 
faith or practice, than the Holy Scriptures." Finding 
that the " circuit plan " works so much better than 
did the old jparuh plan, he tells his friend that he has 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 101 

" now no parish," in that sense, " nor probably ever 
shall." The new circuit works so well that the old 
parish evidently has no longer any attraction for him. 
And we may safely say that all ^vho have Wesley's 
spirit, feel as he did, in this particular also ! Our 
observation is, that none go back to the old parish till 
they loose the power (if ever they had it) that drove 
Wesley out of the old parish and placed him on the cir- 
eiiii. Without this power the circuit would ^vork even 
worse than the old parish, but with it the eireuit plan 
works like a charm. To discover this power was the 
object of our search ; and we think we are now pre- 
pared to point it out, with unmistakable clearness, and 
specify the parti/yidars that are essential to its development 
In the history which has passed under review^ we 
have two classes of facts. The first class, which ex- 
tends to May, 1738, demonstrates the absence of this 
power. The second class, w^hich extends from that pe- 
riod, as clearly demonstrates the piresence of this power. 
Up to the period specified, these men had not the pecu- 
liar power of w4nch w^e speak ; from that period they 
had it. The conclusion in each case is as certain as are 
the facts adduced in its favor. Now, what had these 
men at, and from that period, w^hich they had not be- 
fore ? This is the momentous question. For it is 
evident that the principles then acquired must be the 
elements of power ^ or the medium through ivhich the power 
operates. In other words, the eonditions of power. 
This will become evident in the highest degree, if we 
can show, as we believe we can, that this power is al- 
ways found w^here these elements are, and never where 
they are not. What then, are the principles which 



102 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

these reformers acquired at the period referred to, and 
which they had not before ? 

I answer: — First — They obtained a clear hnowledge 
of the two essential and kindred principles, viz : justifica' 
tion by faith alone, and regeneration by the Holy Spirit 
Second — They sought and obtained these two great bles- 
sings y with the direct witness of the Spirit Third — 
They sought and obtained that peculiar qualification 
for the work of the ministry, viz : the baptism of the 
Holy Ghost ; they were " endued with power from on 
high." Fourth — Being assured that God had called 
them to the work of the ministry, they unreservedly offered 
themselves to him for this very purpose, and wholly gave 
themselves up to the guidance of his providence, regard- 
less of all consequences. If it be said, that they had 
previously done what is specified in the fourth place, I 
answer this was not possible before they had this salva- 
Hon, and the faith which is the condition thereof; nor 
could they, before this, have that love which is essential 
to every offering, and to every work. Fifth — ^They now 
went forth and pYeviched justification by faith alone, and 
regeneration by the Spirit alone. Sixth — They preached 
that the knowledge of justification is given to the party jus- 
tified by the direct ivitness of the Spirit Seventh — All 
this they corroborated ly their own experience — Their un- 
mistakable consciousness. Eighth — This testimony ivas 
corroborated by a uniformly good judgment and holy life. 
Ninth — This salvation they offered alike to all, ivithout 
any distinction. 

Now, I aver that every thing comprehended in the 
above nine specifications was obtained or done at the 
period marked in the historic record, and not before. 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 103 

If it be said that they preached salvation to all before 
this period ; I am so far from admitting this, that I do 
not believe that, in the proper sense of the word, they 
preached salvation at all ! How could they, when they 
were ignorant of its essential elements, as well as of the 
condition upon which it is obtained ? Hence it is that I 
make this knowledge the first specification in the list 
of principles obtained. John Wesley first obtained this 
knowledge, but Charles, for a time, still persisted in 
pronouncing the whole a neiv doctrine. That they 
should be thus ignorant, one may well wonder, and they 
afterward wondered themselves. Hence, Charles says, 
speaking of the Church generally, " I marvel that we 
were so soon removed unto another Gospel. Who 
would believe that our Church had been founded on 
this important article of justification by faith alone. I 
am astonished I should ever think this a new doctrine, 
especially while our articles and homilies stand unre- 
pealed, and the key of knowledge is yet not taken 
away." But while people wonder at the ignorance of 
John and Charles Wesley, I beg to call attention to 
what is still more wonderful, viz : the fact, that to this 
day there are thousands in the pulpits of the different 
churches, w^ho are no farther forward now than the 
Wesleys were in the early part of the year 1738, and 
many not half so far ! True, they can talk about cer- 
tain truths, and so did the poor creature upon which 
Balaam rode, and probably it talked better than some 
poor creatures talk in the pulpit, for it did not read its 
talk from a manuscript, nor did it say anything but 
what was true, and what is also of great importance, it 
talked to the point, kept to its text, and gave over when 



104 POWER WITH COD AND AVITII MEN. 

it had done ! But that creature, like many creatures in 
the pulpit, could not preach experimental religion ; 
neither could John and Charles AVesley till they had a 
Christian experience, nor can any man ! And they are 
many, alas! very many, who occupy both the pulpits 
and the pews of our churches, who have not a Chris- 
tian experience : and these too will talk about power 
as they do about other things, not knowing what they 
talk about. 

I do not say that any one of the above principles is 
the power of which I speak, nor do I believe that all of 
them put together are that power ; but I claim that they 
are essential to that power. For where these principles 
are not, the power is not, and it is always present w^here 
they are. These principles and the peculiar power go 
together, and are inseparable. I do not say that the 
possession of these elements to the extent that the 
Wesleys had them, is essential to the very existence of 
this power. But I do say that a deficiency in the ele- 
ments will result in a deficiency in the power. Foi 
instance, a man that is w^ holly given up to the gui- 
dance of divine providence, will be a greater power 
than one who is not. Nor do I say that there is no 
power in these elements, considered in themselves. On 
the contrary, I think the relation of a clear religious 
experience is, in itself, very forcible, and so is the clear 
announcement of Scripture truth, particularly the fun- 
damental doctrines here specified : but this peculiar 
power is not natural^ but divine; it is the power of the 
Spirit, and it is exerted through the agent in whom the 
above principles meet; and according to the degree in 
ivhich they meet in him. Nor will anything prevent the 



TwEFOKMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 105 

successful operations of such power, but resistance on 
the part of those for ivhose salvation the power is exerted. 
Where the word of God is preached and the power of 
the Spirit does not accompany it, or accompanying it, 
fails to produce the desired result, the cause is to be 
found in the preacher, or in the hearers, or in both ; for 
the Holy Spirit is always infinitely disposed to exert his 
power for the salvation of souls. The absence and va- 
riations of the Spirit^s power are not caused by changes 
in the Divine mind, but by the moral obstructions which 
are presented either by those through whom he would 
exert his power, or by those upon whom he would ex- 
ert his power. The power and goodness of the Holy 
Spirit were the same before the conversion of White- 
field and the Wesleys, that they were afterward — the 
very same, but those men were not the same before and 
after their conversion. No, after they were converted 
and qualified for the ministry, as stated above, they 
were " vessels unto honor, sanctified and meet for the 
Master's use, and prepared unto every good work." 
Before this time they were not. Hence God could, and 
did, use them now as he did not, and coidd not before. 
If any are startled by this statement, I will ask such 
this question : Do you believe that God could use an 
ignorant sinner in the work of the ministry just as well 
as he could Whitefield and the Wesleys, when they had 
all the qualifications specified above ? If you say no, you 
grant all I claim. And if you say yes, I join issue with 
you and do not hesitate to say no. In my judgment you 
might just as well say that God could convert all men 
at any time, if he were so disposed, whether they would 
or not, as say that he can make the same use of a sin- 



106 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

ner that he can of a saint ; for if there is no moral 
obstruction in the one case, neither is there in the other. 
Moreover, such a conclusion would attach all blame to 
the Almighty, and none to sinners, whether in the pul- 
pit, the pew, or the world ! I wish, to the very utmost 
of my power, to expose and condemn this most perni- 
cious and wicked practice, and brand it, if possible, 
with the ever-during infamy which it so justly deserves. 
Idle and useless professors, like other, sinners, would 
have us believe that they are useless simply because 
God does not see fit to give them the power. And they 
would have us believe that they are very pious in all 
this ; they are " waiting God's time ;'' they are simply 
"submitting to his sovereign will.'' No, my friend, noth- 
ing of the sort ; you are simply resisting his sovereign 
will, and this is the sole reason why he does not, and 
can not, either use you, or save you. He tells you most 
distinctly, " I would, and ye would not." " Ye will 
not come to me that ye might have life." " Ye stiff- 
necked, and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do al- 
ways resist the Holy Ghost." These are the reasons 
why you have neither life nor power. Only come to 
God as Whitefield and the Vf esleys did, and he will 
put you upon the w^heel, as he did them, and make you 
" vessels unto honor, sanctified and meet for the mas- 
ter's use, and prepared unto every good work." As to 
the sphere in which it may please God to use you, we 
have nothing to say ; God will mark that out for you 
as seemeth him good, and lead and defend you in it, if 
you will give yourself up to the guidance of his provi- 
dence. All we claim is, that you will be a power, what- 
ever be your sphere. No man can unite in himself the 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 107 

nine elements specified above, and not be a power. 
The Mader will always use the vessel that is sanctified 
and meet for his use. And, observe, every element here 
specified, shoidd enter into the character and life of every 
Christian^ however humble his sphere of action. The 
only seeming exception to this statement is the call to 
the regular work of the ministry. But this is really no 
exception, inasmuch a^ it merely regards the sphere in 
which the elements of power are to be exercised. For 
instance, Carvosso, the Cornish class-leader, was called 
to a given sphere, and obeyed the call ; and in that 
sphere he was a man of power, and developed all the 
above elements of power as really as did John Wesley 
in his sphere of action. He preached the doctrine of 
justification by faith, corroborating it by his own hap- 
py experience, just as did Whitefield and the Wesleys, 
and that w4th similar success, though moving in a very 
humble sphere ; so humble, that he, like many in simi- 
lar circumstances, would have lived and died in ob- 
scurity, had it not been that he became conspicuous by 
the refulgent light that he shed upon his benighted 
neighbors, by his holy and useful life. Yes, all these 
elements of power met in Carvosso, as really as in John 
Wesley. The machinery and location were different, 
but the power was the same. The powder that works a 
grist-mill, and that which drives the huge steamboat 
across the vast Atlantic, are essentially one. The ma- 
chinery is a little varied to adapt the powder to the dif- 
ferent circumstances, that is all. And the difference 
between Carvosso and Wesley was similar. The en- 
gine in the country grist-mill would not supply the 
place of that in the Atlantic steamer, neither w^ould 



108 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

Carvosso supply the i3lace of John Wesley, or George 
Whitefield, but the machinery and the power in the 
two former cases, and the elements and the power in 
the two latter, are essentially the same; nor can you 

HAVE THE POWER WITHOUT THE ELEMENTS, NOR THE 
ELEMENTS WITHOUT THE POWER. I haVO USCd the 

word elements, because I could not think of another 
word that would comprehend and express, with less 
ambiguity, all the nine particulars specified. Any 
other word that is supposed to be more suitable, may 
be used, provided no one of the nine specifications is 
either excluded or altered. 

The nine specifications, however, may be compre- 
hended in three terms, viz : these, Doctrine, Experienee, 
and Practice, the two latter flowing from the former,, 
invariably so, as the word of God and Christian con- 
sciousness do most clearly testify : " Believe on the Lord 
Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.^' " He that be- 
lieveth hath the witness in himself." " Being justified 
by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord 
Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith 
into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope 
of the glory of God." The same truth is thus expressed 
in the Assembly's Catechism : — " The blessings which 
do in this life accompany or flow from justification, 
adoption, and sanctification, are assurance of God's 
love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost." 
*^We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus 
unto good works, which God hath before ordained that 
we should walk in them." "He that abideth in me, 
and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for 
separate from me ye can do nothing." ** But ye shall 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 109 

receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon 
you." **I can do all things through Christ that 
strengtheneth me." Such is the connection and order of 
the doctrines, the experience, the practice, and the power. 
Not only are the principles here specified essentially 
connected, but they are connected in this order. The hv- 
perience, the practice, and the power, follow faith, never 
go before, for ^^ he that believeth not shall be damned." 

I have not specified as necessary to this peculiar 
power the doctrine of entire satisfaction. First, 
because I do not find it in the facts of history which 
have passed under review, though I do find the power. 
Second, because I believe this power is both retained 
and increased by going on to this state of perfection ; 
and, observe, here too we find the very same connection 
and order of doctrine, experience, practice, and power, 
'' For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he 
shall have more abundance ; but whosoever hath not, 
from him shall be taken away even that which he hath." 
It will be seen that these principles being connected in 
this order, exclude alike, pharisaism, antinomiani^n, 
and latitiidinariayiism, and as sure as this connection 
and order are not adhered to, one or other of these 
errors will creep in. As to the limited sanctification, 
I have not made that one of the specifications, because 
all who are justified are thus sanctified, and because 
it is necessarily included and implied in the specifica- 
tions given. 

Being convinced that the peculiar power and the 
principles above specified are inseparable, so much so, 
that no man or Church can have the principles without 
the power, or the power without the principles, we may 

10 



110 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

well be permitted to dwell upon the subject a little 
longer, and bring forward two or three additional 
witnesses in support of our position. 

Our next witness is John Nelson. We bring him 
forward, not only for the purpose above specified, but 
also, to show that every man, whether learned or 
unlearned, may, and should have the principles and, 
consequently, the power, for the principles may be 
viewed as the conditions of the power. 

John Nelson was, I think, the first lay preacher 
raised up to bear witness to this power, in connection 
with Mr. Wesley. He heard Mr. Wesley preach his 
first sermon in Upper Moorfields on Sunday the 17th 
of June, 1739, from "Ho, every man that thristeth 
come ye to the waters," &c. His simple, unafiected 
account of himself, is alike touching and instructive. 
In his journal, p. 12, he says, " I went from church 
to church, but found no ease: one minister at St. 
Paul's preached about man doing his duty to God and 
his neighbor ; and when such came to lie upon a death- 
bed, what joy they would have in their own breast 
by looking back ,on their well-spent life. But that 
sermon had like to have destroyed my soul, for I 
looked back, and could not see one day in all my life 
wherein I had not left undone something which I 
ought to have done, and wherein I had not done many 
things wrong ; that I was so far from having a well- 
spent life to reflect upon, that I saw, if one day well- 
spent would save my soul, I must be damned for ever. 
After that I heard another sermon, wherein the 
preaclier summed up all the Christian duties, but he 
said, man, since the fall, could not perfectly fulfil the 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. Ill 

will of his Maker ; but God required him to do all he 
could and Christ would make out the rest, but if man 
did not do alLhe could, he must unavoidably perish. 
Then I thought, not only I, but every soul must be 
damned. Therefore I concluded that none could be 
saved but little children. I thought I would try others, 
and w^ent to hear Dissenters of divers denominations, 
but to no purpose. Then I went to the Romans, but 
was soon surfeited with their ways of w^orship. Then 
I went to the Quakers, and prayed that God would 
not suffer the blind to go out of the w^ay, but join me 
to the people that w^orshipped him in spirit and in 
truth ; I cared not w^hat they were called, nor what I 
suffered upon earth, so that my. soul might be saved at 
last. I believe I heard them every Sunday for three 
months. What made me continue so long was, almost 
at my first going, one spoke something that nearly 
suited the state of my soul, but showed no remedy. I 
had now tried all but the Jews, and I thought it was 
to no purpose to go to them, so I thought I would go 
to church, and read and pray, whether I perished or 
not. But I w^as amazed w^hen I came to join in the 
morning prayers, to see that I had mocked my Maker 
all my days by praying for things I did not expect, or 
desire. In the Spring [1739] Mr. Whitefield came 
into Moorfields, and I w^ent to hear him ; he was to 
me like a man that could play w^ell upon an instru- 
ment, for his preaching w^as pleasant to me and I 
loved the man ; so that if any one offered to disturb 
him, I was ready to fight for him." ^ ^ ^ a g^^ 
sometimes as I was reading, I thought, if none are 
Christians but such as St. John and St. Paul describe. 



112 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

I do not know one person that is a Christian, either in 
town or country. As for me, I am no more a Christian 
than is a devil, and my hope of ever being one is very 
small." 

Thus he continued to wander about, still becoming 
more and more miserable. Nor did sleep afford him 
much relief, for he says, " In this struggle I had but 
little sleep; if I slept four hours out of twenty-four, I 
thought it was a great deal ; sometimes I started as if 
I was falling into some horrible place, at other times 
I dreamed that I was fighting with Satan, and when I 
awoke I was sweating, and as fatigued as if I had 
really been fighting. In all this time I did not open 
my. mind to any person, either by word or by letter, 
but I was like a wandering bird cast out of the nest 
till Mr. John Wesley came to preach his first sermon 
in Moorfields. O, that was a blessed morning to my 
soul ! As soon as he got upon the stand he stroked 
back his hair and turned his face to where I stood, 
and, I thought, fixed his eyes on me ; his countenance 
struck me with such an awful dread, before I heard 
him speak, that it made my heart beat like the pendu- 
lum of a clock, and when he did speak I thought his 
whole discourse was aimed at me. When he had done, 
I said. This man can tell the secrets of my heart ; but 
he hath not left me there, for he hath showed me the 
remedy, even the blood of Jesus. Then was my soul 
filled with consolation through hope, that God for 
Christ^s sake would save me ; neither did I doubt in 
such a manner any more, till within twenty-four hours 
of the time when the Lord wrote pardon on my heart, 
though it was a little after midsummer that I heard 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 113 

him, and it was three weeks after Michaelmas before 
I found the true peace of God." This painful struggle 
continued till about the middle of October. Mean- 
time, he says, " All my acquaintances set upon me to 
persuade me not to go too far in religion lest it should 
unfit me for my business, and so bring poverty and 
distress upon my family ; and they said they wished I 
had never heard Mr. Wesley, for they were afraid it 
would be the ruin of me. I told them I had reason 
to bless God that ever he was born, for by hearing him 
I was sensible that my business in this world was to 
get well out of it ; and as for my trade, health, wisdom, 
and all things in the world, they were no blessing to 
me any farther than as so many instruments to help 
me by the grace of God to work out my salvation. 
Then they said they were sorry for me, and should be 
glad to knock Mr. Wesley's brains out, for he would 
be the ruin of many families if he was allowed to live 
and go on as he did. Some of them said they would 
not hear him preach for fifty pounds." Shortly before 
he found salvation his distresses vfas great, so that he 
could neither rest, eat, nor sleep. But hear him : 
"When I went back to my lodging at noon, dinner 
was ready, and the gentlewoman said, ' Come, sit down, 
you have need of your dinner, for you have eaten 
nothing to-day ;' but when I looked on the meat I 
said, ' Shall such a wretch as I devour the good 
creatures of God in the state I am now in ? No, I 
deserve to be thrust into hell.' I then went into my 
chamber, shut the door, and fell down on my knees, 
crying, * Lord save or I perish.' When I had prayed 
till I could prav no more, I got up and walked to and 

10* 



114 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

fro, being resolved I would neither eat nor drink till I 
had found the kingdom of God. I fell down to prayer 
again, but found no relief; got up and walked again; 
then tears began to flow from my eyes like great drops 
of rain, and I fell on my knees a third time ; but now 
I was as dumb as a beast, and could not put up one 
petition if it would have saved my soul. I kneeled 
before, the Lord sometime, and saw myself a criminal 
before the judge ; then I said, * Lord, thy will be done, 
damn or save.' That moment Jesus Christ was as 
evidently set before the eye of my mind, as crucified 
for my sins, as if I had seen him with my bodily eyes ; 
and in that instant my heart was set at liberty from 
guilt and tormenting fear, and filled v/ith a calm and 
serene peace. I could then say, without any dread or 
fear, ' Thou art my Lord and my God.' Now did I 
begin to sing that part of the twelfth chapter of 
Isaiah, 'O Lord, I will praise thee; though thou wast 
angry with me, thine anger is turned away from me, 
and thou comfortest me ; behold, God is my salvation, 
I will trust and not be afraid, for the Lord JEHO- 
VAH is my strength and my song, he also is become 
my salvation.' My heart was filled with love to God 
and every soul of man, and next to my wife and 
children, my mother, brethren and sisters, my greatest 
enemies had an interest in my prayers, and I cried, 
' O Lord, give me to see my desire on them ; let them 
experience thy redeeming love.' That evening, under 
Mr. Wesley's sermon, I could do nothing but weep, 
and love, and praise God for sending his servant into 
fields to show me the way of salvation. All the day 
I neither ate nor drank anything, for before I found 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 115 

peace to my soul the hand of God was so heavy upon 
me, that I refused to eat ; and after I had found peace 
I was so filled with the manna of redeeming love that I 
had no need of the bread that perisheth for that 
season." 

His host and hostess, with whom he had long been a 
lodger, now became alarmed, and told him he must 
seek for lodging elsewhere, for he made so much fuss 
about religion, and prayed so much, they feared some 
mischief would happen ! Accordingly, on Wednesday 
night he came to take away his few articles of clothing. 
While he was fixing up his little bundle, the good old 
man said to his wife, "Suppose John should be right, 
and we wrong, it would be a sad thing to turn him out 
of doors." This thought wrought a marvellous change 
in the mind of the woman, as well as in that of the 
man ; hence, when John had pronounced his blessings 
upon them, and was about to start, the woman went 
between him and the door, and said, " You shall not 
go out of this house to night." To this unexpected 
opposition, John replied, " What, will you neither let 
me go nor stay?" She replied, "My husband is not 
willing you should go ; for he saith, if God hath done 
anything more for you than for us, he would have you 
show us how we may find the same mercy." " So I 
sat down with them," says John, " and told them of 
God's dealing with my soul, and prayed with them ; 
soon after w^hich they both went to hear Mr. Wesley 
preach, w^hen the w^oman was made partaker of the 
same grace ; and I hope to meet them both in heaven." 
On the following Saturday, John had another trial ; 
the " chief foreman " said to him. " John Nelson, you 



116 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

roust look after such and such men to-morrow ; there 
is a piece of work to be done with all speed, for the 
lord of the exchequer will be here on a particular day, 
by which time it must be completed/' " Sir," replied 
John, " you have forgotten yourself; to-morrow is the 
Sabbath." " He said he knew that as well as me, but 
the King's business required haste, and it was common 
to work on Sunday for his majesty. I told him I 
would not work upon the Sabbath for any man in Eng- 
land, except it was to quench fire, or something that 
required the same immediate help." After reasoning 
with John to no purpose, the foreman told him he 
should lose his business. To this the young convert re- 
plied, " I cannot help it, though it may be ten pounds 
out of my way to be turned out of my work at this time 
of the year, I will not wilfully offend God ; for I would 
much rather want bread, nay, I would much rather see 
my wife and children beg their bread barefooted to 
heaven, than ride in a coach to hell." The foreman 
now told Mr. Nelson that he would soon be ^' as mad as 
Whitefield," and added, " What hast thou done, that 
thou needest make so much ado about salvation ! I al- 
ways took thee to be as honest a man as any I have in 
the work, and could have trusted thee with five hun- 
dred pounds." " So you might," replied Mr. Nelson, 
"and not have lost one penny by me." But when 
Nelson undertook to show him that he deserved hell 
notwithstanding, he replied, " I have a worse opinion of 
thee now than ever." To this Mr. N. promptly replied, 
" Master, I have the odds of you, for I have a much 
worse opinion of myself than you can have." In the 
evening, the foreman asked Nelson if he were still ob- 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 117 

stinate, to which the latter replied, " I am determined 
not to break the Sabbath, for I will run the hazard of 
wanting bread here, rather than run the hazard of w^ant- 
ing water hereafter." In this interesting dialogue, the 
foreman gave his last reply in these words, " Wesley has 
made a fool of thee, and thou wilt beggar thy family." 
The next day the young convert had a glorious Sab- 
bath, as might be expected. He says, " God blessed 
my soul wonderfully, both under the word and at the 
sacrament." On Monday morning Mr. Nelson went to 
the exchequer to take away his tools, but God had 
given the foreman another mind, so that he would not 
allow Mr. Nelson to leave, but gave him the superin- 
tendence of a part of the work, ^^ neither had he set any 
man to work on the Sabbath, as he had said he would." 
If this good man had defiled his conscience by yielding 
to these temptations, he would have been as powerless 
as other men. But he did not, hence he not only re- 
tained the power he had, but had it greatly increased ; 
and God made his power felt, so that the foreman 
respected the law of the Sabbath, and all the men were 
permitted to rest on the Lord's day. 

With remarkable zeal and self-denial this young con- 
vert continued to labor for both worlds, though he says, 
" I had never spoken with Mr. Wesley in my life, nor 
conversed with any experienced man about religion. 
I longed to find one to talk with, but I sought in vain, 
for I could find none." Again, speaking of the first win- 
ter after his conversion, he says, "All that hard winter 
I still fasted from Thursday night till Saturday morn- 
ing, and gave to the poor the meat that I saved by 
fasting, spending my time in praying and reading the 



118 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

Scriptures." A little more than a year after his con- 
version, he had an interview with Mr. Wesley. The 
following is the record which he makes of this inter- 
esting event : — " I was at St Paul's, where Mr. John 
Wesley also was, and I contrived to walk with him 
after sacrament, for I had often wished I could speak 
with him ; therefore I seized this opportunity ; so we 
continued in discourse all the way from St. PauPs, to 
the farther end of Upper Moorfields, and it was a 
blessed conference to me. When parting, he took hold 
of my hand, and looking me full in the face, bid me 
take care I did not quench the spirit." 

In December, 1740, he had a remarkable conviction 
that he must return to his home, in Birstal, Yorkshire. 
He did so, and soon told his experience to his friends. 
*^But," he says, "they begged I would not tell any 
that my sins were forgiven, for no one would believe 
me, and they should be ashamed to show their face in 
the street. I should not be ashamed," he replied, " to 
tell what God had done for my soul, if I could speak 
loud enough for all the world to hear me at once." 
His mother told him his " head was turned," to which 
he replied, " Yes, and my heart too, I thank the Lord!" 
As he continued to reprove, rebuke, and exhort, his 
wife " desired that he would leave off abusing his 
neighbors, or go back to London." But he did neither, 
for he continued to " abuse his neighbors" by reproving 
them and telling them his experience. He now went 
to a meeting where he says, " One read in an old book 
for nearly an hour, then sang a hymn, and read a form 
of prayer. I told them that way would never convert sin- 
ners, and began to relate some of my experience ; seve- 



REFORMATION OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 119 

ral were struck with convictions while I was speaking, 
and some soon bore witness to the same grace that God 
showed me. In a little time all I said was noised 
abroad, and people of all denominations came to dis- 
pute with me. As soon as I came home from work, 
my house was filled with people, which made my wife 
uneasy, for she could do no work, and did not yet be- 
lieve that what I said was true. 

*•' Generally, when I came in and sat down, some one 
would ask me a question, and others would begin to 
dispute with me, while others stood to hear. When any 
one began to cavil, I commonly asked what Church 
they belonged to, and if they said the Church of Eng- 
land, then I replied. Do you know your sins forgiven ? 
Several said, ' ^o, nor never expect to know that in 
this world.' Then I said. You are no member of the 
Church of England, if you have not a full trust and 
confidence that God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven 
you. Read the homilies of the Church, and you will 
see what I say is true. I used to have the Bible and 
Common Prayer Book by me, and I showed them the 
articles of the Church, saying. You deny inspiration, 
and the Church you profess to belong to says, ^Before 
the grace of Christ, and the inspiration of his Spirit, no 
good works can he done.' When any said they were of 
the Church of Scotland, I asked them if they did not 
know their sins forgiven. They told me they did not; 
nay, further, they thought it presumption for any one 
to pretend to know it, or to expect such high attain- 
ments as I spoke of; and they told me I was a Papist, 
or I would not talk as I did." To this he replied, '* I 
think you neither know what a Papist or a Presbyte- 



120 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

rian is, for your own lips declare that you are no mem- 
bers of the Church of Scotland ; that Church disowns 
you, for none are allowed members thereof but those 
who are effectually called ; and they that are effectual- 
ly called, do in this life partake of justification, adop- 
tion and sanctification. And the same Church saith, 
that justification is an act of God's free grace, wherein 
he pardoneth all our sins ; adoption is an act of God's 
free grace, by which we are received into the number, 
and have a right to all the privileges of God's sons ; 
and that sanctification is a work of God's free grace, 
whereby we are renewed in the whole man, after the 
image of God, and all that are so effectually called, do 
enjoy an assurance of God's love, peace of conscience, 
and joy in the Holy Ghost. And I pray you what 
have I said more ? By your talking, you are the sons 
of Rome, and enemies to the true Protestant religion. 
Let me beg you to go home, and read the Assembly's 
Catechism, and come and talk with me again. Several 
of them did so, and came with tears in their eyes, and 
are now witnesses that God hath power on earth to for- 
give sins." 

Soon, two of his brothers, his wife, his mother, his 
aunt, two of his cousins, and many of his neighbors 
were converted. Soon the house became too small for 
the crowds that waited upon him when he returned 
from his daily employment, as a stonecutter ; and he 
too had to take to the open air. The writer has been 
in that good old house, and marked with interest the 
old door yard in which the honest stonemason preached 
the Gospel so successfully to his neighbors. His labors 
and wonderful success as recorded in his interesting 



REFORMATION OF SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 121 

journal, from which I have quoted the above are well 
known. We have quoted sufficient to establish our po- 
sition, viz: that John Nelson, like the Wesleys and 
Whitefield, was powerless for good up to the period 
marked in history : from that period he was a power, 
as really and truly, as were the noted characters pre- 
viously presented, though he had neither the learning 
nor the formal ordination which they had. They were 
powerless with these two particulars ; he was a power 
vdthout them ! He obtained the power, and retained it 
in precisely the same way that they obtained and re- 
tained it. And he united in himself all the nine par- 
ticulars which we have discovered in the Wesleys and 
Whitefield, connected with this power. The principles 
and the power always go together; are never found 
separate. You cannot find a man, or a church, pos- 
sessing the one and not the other. Hence we conclude 
that the principles are the conditions of the power. And 
as every man may and should have the principles, 
every man may and should have the power. The 
whole is necessary to the full development of the Chris- 
tian character. 

In further support of our position, we will now glance 
very briefly at the history of Luther and that of the 
' Apostles. 

It is well known that, at the beginning of the six- 
teenth century, not only the heathen world, but also 
the nominally Christian world, was wrapped in dark- 
ness of unparalleled density, only mitigated by a few 
rays of light that still lingered in the valleys of the 
Alps, among the ancient Waldenses. But these 
good people were so shut in on every side by the 

11 



122 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

Pope and the devil, that no one seemed capable of 
passing beyond the valleys to carry the torch of reve- 
lation to the benighted and perishing world outside. 

Now, I simply propose to show, that God came to 
the rescue, and that he enlightened and saved in pre- 
cisely the same way that he did at the beginning of 
the eighteenth century. 

Martin Luther was the son of a miner, in Mans- 
feld, a little town in Saxony. His thoughtful fathei 
soon discovered in the mind of young Luther a re- 
markable activity, and put forth noble efforts to give 
him a liberal education. He is finally sent to the 
University of Erfurt. Here, like the Wesley s, he 
became distinguished by his close application to his 
studies, and by his literary acquirements. But the re- 
ligious tendency of his mind led him, contrary to the 
wishes of his father, to seek for help in the Convent of 
the Hermits of St. Augustine. This event took place 
on the 17th of August, 1505, when he had reached 
the age of twenty-one years and nine months. 

In the hope of obtaining peace to his troubled soul, 
and of reaching heaven at last, he now prosecutes with 
intense ardor the pharisaic and superstitious work 
assigned him, to that end, in the Convent. But God, 
who always helps the sincere, though erring seeker, did 
not fail to help this poor monk in his superstitious, 
though honest efforts. Hence, "He found," says 
D'Aubigne, " in the convent, a Bible fastened to its 
place by a chain, and returned constantly to the 
perusal of this enfettered Bible. He little understood 
the meaning of the word ; but it was, nevertheless, his 
most pleasing study. He was sometimes in the habit 



REFORMATION OF SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 123 

of passing a whole day contemplating the subject of a 
single passage." But although the Pharisee is still 
determined to save himself in his own way, the light 
of revelation begins to penetrate his dark mind, and 
lead him to doubt the possibility of his doing so. 
Hence he is at length led to exclaim, ** I see myself to 
be, in the sight of God, a great sinner, and I do not 
believe it possible for me to appease his wrath by any 
merits of my own." 

But this Pharisee, like the Wesleys long after, still 
persevered in his efforts " to establish his own right- 
eousness." Hence, at an after period he says, " I have 
tormented myself even unto death, in order to procure 
for my troubled heart and agonized conscience peace 
with God ; but, surrounded with horrible darkness, I 
nowhere found that peace." Again, when at the point 
of despair, he says, " Immediately I would run to a 
thousand shifts to appease the accusations of my heart. 
I made confession of my sins every day ; but that 
brought me no relief Then, overwhelmed with sorrow^, 
I harassed my soul by the multitude of my thoughts. 
Look here! I would cry to myself, behold you are 
still as envious as ever, as impatient, as passionate ! 

'''**** It has then been of no use to me, 
unhappy being that I am, to have entered in commu- 
nion wdth this holy order." The following, from 
D'Aubigne, is very affecting : — " The young monk, 
like a shadow, paced along the lengthened corridors 
of the cloister, making their vaults ring with the 
sounds of his groaning. His body wasted away, his 
strength forsook him, and he sometimes remained in a 
condition resembling the state of death. On one 



124 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

occasion, his spirits crushed with care, he shut himself 
up in his cell, and, for many days and nights, forbade 
the approach of any one within its door. One of his 
friends, Lucas Edenberger, distressed with the conduct 
of the unhappy monk, and having some presentiment 
of the state of his mind, took with him certain young 
boys accustomed to sing in the choir, and went to 
knock at the door of his cell. But no one either 
opened the door or answered to the call thus made. 
The worthy Edenberger, still more alarmed, broke 
open the door. Luther lay extended on the floor, 
deprived of his senses, and without exhibiting any 
symptoms of life. His friend strove in vain to bring 
back the use of his faculties. Then the boys began to 
sing a sweet hymn. Their sweet voices acted as a charm 
upon the deadened feelings of the poor monk, for 
whom music had always possessed a singular pleasure. 
By degrees he recovered his strength, his senses and 
his life." 

These are but a few of the terrible struggles through 
which this poor pharisaic monk passed in his efforts to 
reach heaven by "climbing up some other way;" but 
they are sufficient to enable us to appreciate the fol- 
lowing reflections, which he made after he had expe- 
rienced redemption in the blood of Jesus. Writing to 
the duke Gregory of Saxony, he says, "Truly I have 
been a pious monk, and have fulfilled the regulations 
of my order more rigidly than I would wish to express. 
If ever a monk had been able to enter the gates of 
heaven by means of his monkish observances, most 
assuredly I should have gained an entrance therein. 
A fact which can be proved by the whole of the re- 



REFORMATION OF SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 125 

ligious fraternity with whom I was acquainted. Had 
my monastic life continued much longer, I would have 
suffered the death of martyrdom, on account of my 
watchings, prayings, readings, and other labor." 

But he who sent Annanias to the penitent Saul, 
another pharisee, now sends Staupitz to the pharisaic, 
but now self-despairing Luther, to point him to '^ the 
Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world." 
*' Wherefore" said the venerable Staupitz, " do you tor- 
ment yourself with all these vain speculations and 
high thoughts? -i^ ^i^ * ^ >k Look 

to the sufferings of Jesus Christ, to the blood he 
has shed for you ; it is in these things the grace of 
God will appear to you. In place of making yourself 
a martyr on account of your faults, throw yourself into 
the arms of the Redeemer. Trust you in him, in the 
uprightness of his life, in the expiation of his death." 
Having received the truth from the chained Bible in 
the Convent, and then from the lips of Staupitz, the 
Holy Spirit now speaks that same truth to Luther, first 
at Wirtemberg, then at Bologna; and, finally at Rome, 
while the poor monk was still striving to " climb up 
some other way," while he was literally climbing up 
what were called " Pilot's Stairs." The words which 
were mysteriously spoken to his inmost soul, were, "the 
just shall live by faith." Thus were his filthy rags of 
pharisaic and monkish righteousness swept away, and 
the miserable sinner was saved by grace through 
faith, and the monk, now transformed into a Chris- 
tian, forsook Rome and pharisaism at the same 
time, and having consecrated himself to his God and 
Saviour, and being now in possession of the peculiar 

11* 



126 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

power, he becomes the great reformer of the sixteenth 
century ! 

To establish our position beyond the possibility of 
mistake, we may be permitted to give a few additional 
quotations. We cannot deny ourselves the pleasure of 
giving D'Aubigne's reflections upon this important 
event. " The same efiectual weapon that had been 
wielded by the apostles, was now at last drawn forth in 
its original brightness, from the armory of the mighty 
God. At the instant when Luther rose from his knees 
in Rome, awakened and called to reason by the same 
words which Paul had addressed fifteen hundred years 
before to the inhabitants of the same metropolis, the 
truth, until then mournfully bound and kept captured, 
was also relieved from bondage, never again to suffer 
imprisonment." But, as our historian observes, we 
must here listen to Luther's own words : — " although I 
was a holy and irreproachable monk, my conscience 
was nevertheless filled with trouble and despair. I 
could not suffer this expression, the righteousness of 
God. I did not love this just and holy God who pun- 
ished sinners. I was affected against him with secret 
rage; I hated him, because that, not content with 
alarming us with the terrors of the law, and the mise- 
ries of this life, we poor creatures already lost in 
original sin, he still augmented our torments by the 
revelations of the Gospel. * "^ * But, when through 
the Spirit of God, I was made to comprehend these 
words, w^hen I learned how the justification of the sin- 
ner proceeded from the pure mercy of the Lord by 
means of faith * * * then I found my nature re- 
freshed like a new man ; I entered, as it were, at an 



REFORMATION OF SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 127 

open door into the very Paradise of God." "I see/' 
said he on another occasion, "that the devil attacks 
without ceasing this fundamental article by means of 
his doctrines, and that he cannot, in respect of it, either 
leave off or take any rest. Very well, for myself Dr. 
Martin Luther, an unworthy evangelist of our Lord, 
Jesus Christ, I confess this article, that faith alone jus- 
iijies in the sight of God, without works ; and I declare 
that the emperor of the Romans, the emperor of the 
Turks, the emperor of the Tartars, the emperor of the 
Persians, the Pope, all the cardinals, the bishops, priests, 
monks, nuns, kings, princes, everybody else, with all 
devils, must allow it to continue upright, and admit 
that it shall forever endure." After continuing to pour 
out his fervent spirit for some time, in language similar 
to the above, and asserting that this doctrine " is found 
in the true and holy gospel," and that Jesus Christ is 
the only Saviour, he adds, "And if it is he alone who 
can take away sin, it cannot be us who do so with our 
works." But good works follow redemption, as the 
fruit is seen upon the tree. This is our doctrine, it is 
the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, received and taught by 
all holy Christians. We hold it in the name of God. 
Amen." It is quite clear that this man believes what 
he says ; yea, and that he knows it by happy and un- 
mistakable experience. Upon another occasion, he 
said, " In my heart reigns single, and ought to reign 
there alone, faith in my Lord Jesus Christ, who only is 
the beginning, the middle, and the end of all the 
thoughts which occupy my mind night and day." This 
language is worthy of a Christian reformer, and should 
be the Ian ^u a o'e of all who nam.e the name of Christ. 



128 POWEK WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

It was some of these fervent and truly evangelic utter-' 
ances, that reached the heart of John Wesley in a 
house in Aldersgate street, in London, more than two 
hundred years afterward, and led to the reformation of 
the eighteenth century. 

The above quotations are from D'Aubigne's History 
of the Reformation. On looking over Luther's ser- 
mons, I find similar sentiments, uttered with similar 
fervor, and they are in every sermon, no matter what 
his text is. In his sermon on Gal. iv. 1 — 7, he says, 
"ISTeither is it a controversy among the godly, that 
man is not justified by works, but righteousness must 
come from some other source than from his works." 
Again, " There are two sorts of works ; those before 
justification, and those after it; these last are good 
works, indeed, but the former only appear to be good." 
Of the latter, he says, " These are not the works of 
nature, but of grace." Again, " He that studieth to 
fulfil the law without faith, continues a persecutor both 
of faith and the law, until he come to himself, and 
cease to trust in his own works ; he then gives glory to 
God, who justifies the ungodly, and acknowledgeth 
himself to be nothing, and sighs for the grace of God, 
of which he knows that he hath need. Faith and grace 
now fill his empty mind, and satisfy his hunger, then 
follow works which are truly good." And these works, 
he says, are " of the spirit of faith and grace." In his 
sermon on Luke, chap. vi. 36-42, he says, " We should 
place our trust and confidence in God alone for what- 
soever things we need, for we enjoy no blessing, either 
temporal or spiritual, that does not proceed from his 
bounteous grace and goodness. But there are some 



REFORMATION OF SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 129 

who place confidence in themselves, and in other men; 
who rest upon their traditions, and put their trust in 
things that some great man hath invented. Of such 
God speaketh in Jer. ii. 13 : * For my people have 
committed two great evils ; they have forsaken me, the 
fountain of living water, and have hewn them out cis- 
terns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.' In the 
same manner, the papists of the present time, forsaking 
the way of life, which is faith in Christ, look for salva- 
tion through their own works, such as their fastings 
and formal prayers, and the celebration of masses 
which they have instituted. This religion of rites and 
forms, though it may appear to them a living fountain, 
is nevertheless a broken cistern, capable of holding no 
water." When his text is the first commandment, he 
preaches the same doctrine. He shows that "idolatry 
reigns in the bosom of every man, until he is freely 
healed by the faith which is in Jesus Christ." Being 
thus saved, he says, " nothing remains with you but 
Jesus, Jesus alone ; Jesus proving sufficient to gratify 
every longing of your soul. No longer hoping for any 
assistance from any creature, you look exclusively to 
Christ, from whom you hope to receive all, and whom 
you love more than all beside. Now Jesus is the only 
true God. When you possess him for your God, you 
no longer possess any other gods." Such is Luther's 
method of curing all idolators. And just such is the 
cure which the apostle John offers in the following 
words, having, like Luther, preached Jesus, he adds, 
" This is the true God, and eternal life. Little chil- 
dren, keep yourselves from Idols. Amen." Nor is 
there any other cure for idolatry. Where this doctrine 



130 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEX. 

is received idolatry cannot exist ; where it is not re- 
ceived, and preached, idolatry will exist and reign, 
either in a ritualistic, or some other form. Truly, it is 
with a poor grace that a Church professes the doctrines 
of the Reformation, and yet returns to ritualism, and 
covers herself with the trappings of popish superstition 
and idolatry. The Church that does not hold and 
preach the great doctrine of justification by faith alone, 
must, to be consistent, reject both Protestantism and 
the Bible ; for, all that is vital in fhe Bible, all that is 
vital in Protestantism, is essentially connected with 
this doctrine. Hence, it is not possible for any Church 
or individual to have the power of which we speak till 
this doctrine is embraced. 

It will be seen by all who examine the historic facts 
here given, that Martin Luther united in himself all 
the nine principles which we have specified as the 
conditions of this power ; and from the time he did so, 
he was a power, while before that time he was utterly 
helpless. In short, both before and after, he was, in 
every essential particular, like the men previously 
mentioned. 

With the history of the apostles, and the reforma- 
tion of their times, all are, or should be, familiar. 
Hence it is only necessary to challenge a comparison 
of the historic records of the New Testament with 
those here given. We are confident that every intelli- 
gent person who will be at the trouble of doing so, 
will discover a perfect harmony between the two 
records, and that the principles and the power here 
specified, and exhibited in the facts of history, are 
found in every truly Chri>stian man, and in every truly 



REFORMATION OF FIRST CENTURY. 131 

Christian Church. The principles and the power 
always go together ; they are never found separate ; 
they are as inseparable as are matter and figure. 

To present this subject with the utmost clearness, 
even to those who are too indolent to make a more 
lengthened comparison, we will glance at the case of 
St. Paul. 

He tells us that he was " a Pharisee, the son of a 
Pharisee." He says, " after the straitest sect of our 
religion, I lived a Pharisee." And, like Luther, he 
tells his Pharisaic brethren that they could " testify " 
to the truth of this statement, "if they would." See 
Acts xxiii. 6, and xxvi. 5. Again, " If any other man 
thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the 
flesh, I more ; circumcised the eighth day, of the stock 
of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the 
Hebrews ; as touching the law, a Pharisee, concerning 
zeal, persecuting the Church, touching the righteous- 
ness which is in the law, blameless. But what things 
were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea, 
doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the 
excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my. Lord ; 
for whom I have sufiered the loss of all things, and do 
count them but dung that I may win Christ, and be 
found in him, not having mine own righteousness, 
which is of the law, but that which is through the 
faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by 
faith ; that I may know him, and the power of his 
resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being 
made conformable unto his death, if by any means. I 
might attain unto the resurrection of the dead." Phil, 
iii. 4, 11. In his epistle to the Galatians chap. i. 13, 



132 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

16, he says, "For ye have heard of my conversation 
in time past, in the Jews' religion, how that beyond 
measure I persecuted the Church of God, and wasted 
it ; and profited in the Jews' religion above many 
my equals in mine own nation, being more exceeding 
zealous of the traditions of my fathers. But when it 
pleased God, who separated me from my mother's 
womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his son in 
me, that I might preach him among the heathen, 
immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood." 
Now, let no one glance hastily at these quotations, as 
though everybody understood and believed them 
already. Examine them carefully and you will see 
that Paul's record of himself is essentially one with 
that of Luther,, the Wesleys, Whitefield, and John 
Nelson. The same doctrine, the same experience, the 
same consecration, the sa;me practice, and the same 
'power. Before justification by faith, Paul was as power- 
less as was Luther the pharisaic monk, but as soon 
as he is justified by faith alone, he is a power and 
becomes one of those who " turn the world upside 
down;" being determined "to know nothing among 
men save Jesus Christ and him crucified," he wields 
a power that is felt by all worlds. He who before 
" made havock of the Church, and wasted it," now 
makes havoc alike of gentile philosophy and pharisaic 
traditions, exclaiming, " Where is the wise ? Where 
is the scribe ? Where is the disputer of this world ? 
Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world ? 
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by 
wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolish- 
ness of preaching to save them that believe. For the 



REFORMATION OF FIRST CENTURY. 133 

Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom, 
but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumb- 
ling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness ; but unto 
them which are called both Jews and Greeks, Christ 
the power of God and the wisdom of God." Now, 
anticipating the contemptuous and contemptible objec- 
tions of proud pharisees, and proud philosophers, he 
exclaims, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: 
for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one 
that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 
For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from 
faith to faith ; as it is written. The just shall live by 
faith." 

It is worthy of notice, that Paul and Luther look 
out upon the world and with similar zeal and courage, 
hurl defiance at all the enemies of Christ and the 
Gospel. In conclusion, we simply call attention to the 
oneness of the men, the principles, and the power, that 
God employed in the reformations of the first, six- 
T --ri tliP eighteenth centuries. 



12 



CHAPTER IV. 

Between the position specified, and that of the Pharisee, there 
is no medium — Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians, are 
presented in Scripture as representative classes of character, 
and are, as they ever have been, the grand enemies of Chris- 
tianity — Pharisaism is fully investigated, by reference to 
Scripture and History — The principle upon which Pharisa- 
ism rests, is that of human merit; that upon which Christiani- 
ty rests, is grace coming through the merit of the atonement — All 
who seek at all, rest their expectations upon one of these two 
principles — Grace and faith go together, as do merit and 
works — Pharisaism embraces a great variety of characters, 
but they all rest upon the same principle, viz: merit; hence 
the appeal is to naked justice : while the Christian rests 
upon the atonement and expects all of mere grace — The Phari- 
see and the Publican are presented as the representatives of 
the two systems — Salvation by works, was, and is, an eter- 
nal impossibility — The transition from Pharisaism to Saddu- 
cism is easy and frequent, and, to some extent, inevitable — 
Sadducean history fully examined, and Sadducean charac- 
ter, ancient and modern, carefully delineated ; and its evil 
tendencies exposed — It is not possible for those who think, to 
rest in Pharisaism ; hence, those who think, either fall back 
upon Bible truth, or pass to Sadducism, and thence to all 
kinds of skepticism — An interesting account and thrilling 
description of Herodians, ancient and modern — These three 
systems concentrated, and formed that horrible thing called 
Popery — How saved from all these errors. 

PHARISAISM. 

But suppose you have not the power of which we 

have been speaking, because you have not the princi- 
(134) 



PHARISAISM. 135 

pies which are essential to its existence, what then? 
Why, just this; at the very best you are a Pharisee; 
for between the position here specified, and that of the 
Pharisee, there is no medium. Of course w^e do not 
here include the state of the penitent, which is a transir 
tion state. Nor do w^e include the case of the heathen; 
we do not think that their case belongs to the subject 
under discussion : but having discovered and developed 
moral powder, and the j)rinciples essential thereto, we 
now" purpose to point out the grand principles of error 
which are essentially opposed thereto ; so much so, that 
both cannot exist in the same mind at the same time ; 
either must exclude the other. We believe that all in 
Christendom who have not embraced the principles 
and power w^hich we have specified, are either Phari- 
sees, SaddiiceeSj or Herodians, These are the grand 
enemies of Christianity. Hence, we purpose, to expose 
these grand errors, to the end they may be dispossessed 
of the ground which they now occupy, so that the prin- 
ciples and power of which we speak may take their 
place. This has been, still is, and ever wdll be, the 
great w^ork of the Christian reformer. So long as it is 
even tacitly admitted, that men may be destitute of the 
principles and power specified, and yet be Christians, 
it is in vain that we look for Christian reformation. It 
was not thus that the reformations of the first, sixteenth 
and eighteenth centuries w^ere produced, as may be 
clearly seen by reference to the historic fiicts which we 
have adduced. And it was for this purpose that we 
adduced them. 

The Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Herodians 
are presented to us in the Kew Testament as the great 



136 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

enemies of Jesus, his teachings, and his followers; 
sometimes separately, and sometimes combinedly. For 
a time our blessed Lord was popular with the masses 
of the people; ** The common people heard him glad- 
ly," till they were perverted and moved to opposition 
by the leaders of these classes. We believe that these 
three classes are presented to us in Scripture as repre- 
sentative characters, and that they still exist, and are 
still the grand enemies of Jesus, his teachings, and his 
followers. And as we purpose to show that all in 
Christendom who do not embrace, theoretically and 
experimentally, the grand doctrine of justification by 
faith, belong to one or other of these three classes, it 
will be necessary to point out the distingjiiishing charac- 
teristics and principles of each sect. It is cause of 
thankfulness that the New Testament furnishes ample 
material for this purpose, and, by the way, this fact 
marks the importance of the subject ; God has set a 
mark upon them as he did on Cain, the first Pharisee. 
Of the better class of Pharisees, Paul gives us the 
following comprehensive and lucid description: "For I 
bear them record that they have a zeal for God, but not 
according to knowledge. For they, being ignorant of 
God's righteousness, and going about to establish their 
own righteousness, have not submitted themselves to 
the righteousness of God." In his episf le to the Phil. 
Chap, iii., he tells us what he means by the " righteous- 
ness of God," as distinguished from that of a Pharisee. 
Having given us his own character and experience as 
a Pharisee specifying the things in which he gloried, 
he says, "But what things were gain to me, those 
I counted loss for Christ, yea, doubtless, and I count 



PHARISAISM. 137 

all tilings but loss for the excellency of the knowledge 
of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the 
loss of all things, and do count them but dung that I 
may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine 
own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which 
is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is 
of God by faith." Again, Rom. iv. 3-5, " For what 
saith the Scripture ? Abraham believed God, and it was 
counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that 
worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of 
debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on 
him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for 
righteousness." Let it be well observed, that according 
to this teaching, grace, faith and righteousness go to- 
gether, and that the Pharisee by "going about to 
establish his own righteousness " by his works, thereby 
excludes /ai% and grace, and thus renders righteousness 
impossible, for ^' by the deeds of the law shall no flesh 
living be justified." It follows that the Pharisaic 
method presents an absolute antagonism to the economy 
of grace, for " to him that worketh is the reward not 
reckoned of grace, but of debt," and this excludes the 
very idea of grace ! If what I receive is the mere pay- 
ment of a debt for work done, I receive it not of grace, 
but of naked justice. Hence, the Apostle says, "it is 
of faith, that it might be by grace." Nor is there any 
medium between Paul's position and that of the Phari- 
see. This is asserted by him in his epistle to the Ro- 
mans, Chap. xi. 6. "And if by grace, then is it no 
more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace. But 
if it be of works, then it is no more grace ; otherwise, 
work is no more work. If it is by grace, it is not by 

12* 



138 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

workSf and if it is by worksy it is not by grace. These 
two principles are absolutely opposed, the one to the 
other, so much so that either one absolutely excludes 
the other ; and, observe, every one who seeks righteous- 
ness at all, must seek it in one of these two ways ; there 
is absolutely no medium; we are shut up to this alter- 
native; we must seek by faith or by works. Hence, we 
repeat, between the Christian and the Pharisee there is 
no medium ; these two classes comprehend all in Chris- 
tendom who are not Sadducees, or Herodians, and 
these two last classes cannot be said to seek at all, as 
we shall show ; they have got away beyond the region 
where seekers live ; they cannot be classed either with 
Christians, Pharisees, or heathens. 

Seeing pharisaic righteousness is the only substitute 
for God's righteousness, and seeing all who do not seek 
by grace through faith are " going about to establish 
their own righteousness," if they seek at all, we will 
quote another passage of holy writ to show with the 
utmost clearness how a Pharisee goes about to establish 
his oivn righteousness. We think our blessed Lord has 
given us the clearest possible view of this whole sub- 
ject in the following narrative or parable, and his com- 
ment upon it. This parable is in the 18th chapter of 
Luke, and reads thus : — "And he spake this parable 
unto certain who trusted in themselves that they were 
righteous, [margin, as being righteous,] and despised 
others : two men went up into the temple to pray, the 
one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee 
stood and prayed thus with himself: God, I thank thee 
that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, 
adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the 



PHARISAISM. 139 

week ; I give titlies of all that I possess. And the 
publican standing afar off, would not lift up so much 
as his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, 
God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man 
went down to his house justified, rather than the other, 
for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased, 
and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." We 
doubt whether it is possible to have a more striking 
test of the two principles, salvation by grace, and sal- 
vation by works, than that here given. God being the 
judge, the one is a perfect failure, and the other a per- 
fect success ; though on the one hand, the pharisaic 
system is represented by one of the best pharisees that 
can be produced ; while on the other hand, God's plan 
of salvation is tested by a publican, a more than ordi- 
nary sinner, acknowledged to be such, both by himself 
and all others. The Pharisee pleads the best works 
that a Pharisee can offer, but he is rejected, he remains 
unpardoned, unsaved, a pharisaic sinner in the sight 
of God, though a saint in his own estimation ; while 
the other makes no mention of his righteousness, hon- 
estly denies that he has any, acknowledges that he is a 
sinner, and as such, simply cries for mercy. The result 
is, God forgives ; he saves the penitent, praying sinner, 
just as he saved the Wesleys, Whitefield, Nelson, Lu- 
ther, Paul ; and the publican goes " down to his house 
justified," exclaiming, doubtless, " O to grace how great 
a debtor." While the Pharisee goes away, still making 
mention of his own righteousness, and still determined 
to purchase heaven by offering his inint, his anise, and 
his cummin, instead of the atonement of Christ. And, 
by the way, this is the true idea of pharisaism ; it offers 



140 POWER V/ITII GOD AND WITH MEN. 

to eterDal justice, "mint, anise and cummin," or ritual- 
istic trumpery, instead of the atonement of Jesus Christ. 
And, observe, this is true of all who are seeking, hid not 
seeking justification hy faith alone. To all such the lan- 
guage of the Psalmist is entirely applicable, " Ye fools, 
when will ye be wise ? " 

But let us examine the character and principles of 
this Pharisee still more minutely ; this is tha more 
necessary as he is a representative character. This is 
evident from the fact that this parable is addressed to 
ALL "who trust in themselves that they are righteous, 
and despise others," as all Pharisees do, and this man 
is given as a living specimen of all such. He " went 
up into the temple to pray," but he evidently did not 
know the meaning of the word pray, for he never 
offered up a single petition. How could he, seeing he 
" trusted in himself" as being righteous already ? 
Like the Laodiceans he considered himself " rich and 
increased in goods and had need of nothing," while, 
like them, he knew not that he was "wretched, and 
miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." "The 
Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself," yes, 
just THUS, " God, I thank thee that I am not as other 
men." Mark, a Pharisee is always comparing himself 
with others, and, of course, he always brings himself 
off first best, as in this case. Dr. Adam Clark, in his 
comment on this text gives a remarkable instance, as 
illustrative of the fact here stated : — " Rabbi Simeon, 
the son of Jochai, said, if there were only thirty right- 
eous persons in the world, I and my son should make 
two of them ; but if there were but twenty, I and my 
son would be of the number ; and if there were but 



PHARISAISM. 141 

ten, I and my son would be of the number; and if there 
were but five, I and my son would be of the five ; and if 
there were but two, I and my son would be those two : 
and if there were but one, myself should be that one." 
" This," adds the doctor, *^ is a genuine specimen of 
pharisaic pride." No marvel that such a man 
*']3rayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee." Like 
Cain, and all other Deists, he could bring a thank- 
offering but no sacrifice^ no atonement for sin, for he did 
not believe he had any sin that rendered an atonement 
necessary; hence, we are told that he exalted himself, 
and trusted in himself that he ivas righteous. The sum 
of his righteousness, as stated by himself, was this : he 
was free from certain outward sins ; he attended the 
public ordinances, after the Pharisaic fashion, of 
course; he fasted twice in the week, and he paid 
tithes of all that he possessed. Of course it will not 
be supposed that all Pharisees go this far ; this is 
given as the very best specimen, of the best right- 
eousness that the best Pharisee can offer ; it is all that 
this Pharisee claimed, and with it he was entirely 
satisfied. It must be observed, too, that all the right- 
eousness here specified, is merely outward ; inward re- 
ligion, holiness of heart, is not so. much as thought of, 
nor is there the slightest reference to pardon or to the 
work, or witness of the Spirit ; though all these have 
a prominent place in the promises and prayers of the 
Old Testament Scripture, so that this Pharisee w^as 
w^ithout excuse, and so are all Pharisees. But the fact 
is, natural powers and natural laws, are entirely compe- 
tent to produce Pharisaic righteousness, hence the su- 
pernatural is neither sought nor desired ; a Pharisee feels 



142 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

entirely competent to do his own work, which is merely 
outward, and, at best, the merest semblance of God's 
righteousness leaving the heart unchanged and corrupt. 
It is of this, the best class of Pharisees, that our Lord 
says, " Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of 
the cup and platter, but your inward part is full of 
ravening and wickedness.'' Hence he solemnly declares, 
'* That except your righteousness shall exceed the 
righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in 
no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." This is 
final. He that hath an ear let him hear ! And, mark 
well, no righteousness of fallen man is any better, or 
any other, than that of the Pharisee, except *Hhe 
righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus 
Christ, unto all and upon all that believe." Justifica- 
tion, regeneration, sanctification, adoption, assurance, 
love, peace, joy, all follow faith in Jesus Christ, and 
cannot go before, for faith is the condition of this salva- 
tion, every part of which is the work of the eternal 
Spirit, coming to us, and working in us, for the sake 
of what Christ has done and suffered. 

Such is the righteousness of God, and such is the 
way in which it is obtained. Therefore between this 
doctrine and Pharisaism there is no medium. All 
who do not seek this righteousness, in this way, are 
Pharisees if they seek at all. In the matter of salva- 
tion we are shut up to one of two principles, merit or 
grace, and equally shut up to one of two conditions 
faith or loorks. Works imply merit, faith implies 
grace. And either principle excludes the other. Hence 
Paul says, "If by grace, then is it no more of works : 
but if it be of works, then is it no more of grace/' 



PHARISAISM. 143 

And as salvation by works is impossible, the apostle 
says, '* It is oi faith, that it might be by grace'^ Again, 
Eph. ii. 5, " By grace are ye saved." And yet, again, 
verse 8, " For by grace are ye saved, through faith, and 
that not of yourselves : it is the gift of God : not of 
works, lest any man should boast. For we are his 
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good 
works, which God hath before ordained that we should 
walk in them." The fact is, justification or pardon by 
w^orks, implies a positive contradiction ; for work 
implies merit, and merit excludes the very idea of 
pardon. Hence Universalists, very consistently with 
their principle, which is, that we all suffer in this life 
according to the extent of our sins, say there can be 
no such thing as pardon. Very true, if your principle 
is true. But, remember, your principle is not true, if 
Scripture teaching is true ; for, according to that 
teaching, it is by grace we are saved through faith,'' 
The whole " is the gift of God," faith the condition. 
" Not of works,, lest any man should boast." It will 
be w^ell, too, for Universalists to remember, that they 
are of the sect of the Pharisees, and so are all others 
who seek salvation in any other way than " by grace 
through faith," for, I repeat it, between this doctrine 
and Pharisaism there is no medium. Men may call 
themselves what they please, but if they seek or 
expect salvation at all, their w^hole religious system 
must rest upon one of these two principles, salvation 
by grace through faith ; or salvation by merit, through 
works. If they consistently act out the former princi- 
ple, they are Christians ; if the latter, they are Phari- 
sees, and as such, ** shall in no case enter into the 



144 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

kingdom of heaven/' " The mouth of the Lord hath 
spoken it." 

It is only by examining these principles, merit and 
grace, faith and works, that we can form anything like 
a just conception of the number, the vast number of 
Pharisees. If you are a Christian, and would test this 
matter more fully, just do the following: Converse 
closely with the first non-professor you meet. He has 
not sought and obtained pardon by faith in Jesus ; to 
this religion he makes no pretensions. Yet he expects 
to go to heaven when he dies. Why? Examine close- 
ly, and you will probably find that his expectation 
rests upon something like this: "He is not as other 
men are." He is free from certain outward sins ; he 
does many good things, and, perhaps, he goes to Church ; 
and if he does not, it is because he despises those who 
do, and considers himself much better than most of 
them. Now, compare this with the statements of the 
Pharisee as given above, and you will find it substan- 
tially the same. Hence he is a Pharisee, Let any one 
who is comparatively moral, but who has not expe- 
rienced what is specified, Eom. v. 1, 2, examine him- 
self closely, and he will find, I doubt not, that his hopes 
of heaven rest on substantially the same basis. Hence, 
you, too, are a Pharisee. No doubt you take into ac- 
count the fact, that God is good, hence you are saved, 
simply because God is good and you are not very bad. 
You forget that it is the ungodly, the sinner, that God 
saves by grace through faith. Moreover, if the simple 
fact that God is good, saves you, it will, of course, save 
all ; so that your Pharisaism runs in the direction of 
Universalism. You forget, too, that although God is 



PHARISAISM. 145 

good, he says, "he that believeth not shall be damned." 
*' He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life ; 
and he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life ; 
but the wrath of God abideth on him." Hence it is 
evident that the mere fact that God is good, does not 
save sinners from suffering, either here or hereafter. 
Examine still more carefully and you will probably 
discover as did Luther when he w^as a Pharisaic monk, 
that you consider all this unjust; that you secretly hate 
this God ; and, remember, there is no other God : this 
is the only true God ; and this is the only true religion; 
and this is the only way in w^hich this true religion can 
be obtained. So that after all, if the Bible is true, you 
are without hope and without God in the world. More- 
over, if, as you think, it would be unjust for God to 
shut out of heaven such amiable persons, as you think 
yourself and other Pharisees are, you thereby think 
that he is bound in justice to receive you all into hea- 
ven ; so that, after all, you expect heaven on the prin- 
ciple of naked justice, and that without justification, 
regeneration, adoption, or sanctification ; for to these 
blessings you m'ake no pretensions, and probably you 
consider them all hypocrites who do. Hence you are 
just where Saul was w^hen he was a Pharisee and the 
son of a Pharisee. So true it is that there is no medium 
between Pharisaism and the doctrine of justification by 
faith alone; for the dogma of justification by faith and 
works unitedly, is absurd, contradictory and impos- 
sible. 

Pharisaism embraces an almost endless variety of 
character, from the comparatively amiable man pre- 
sented by our blessed Lord in the above parable, to the 

13 



146 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

infamous Simon, the sorcerer, who thought that the 
gift of God might be purchased with money ; together 
with the still more infamous Tetzel, who peddled . " in- 
dulgences,'^ that is, taught the people that the pardon 
of sin committed, and to be committed, may be pur- 
chased with money, and he, claiming to be the sales- 
man, received all the money he could obtain from such 
as were foolish enough to believe him. Thus while the 
ancient Pharisees offered tithes of their mint, anise and 
cummin, Tetzel was shrewd enough to claim more 
valuable considerations for so rich a boon, but the 
principle in each case was precisely the same. The fact 
is, the whole system of Popery is neither more nor less 
than Pharisaism carried out to its worst consequences. 
Luther commenced to reform himself, and then to re- 
form Popery, by attempting to correct, first one thing, 
and then another. But God taught him that neither 
himself nor the Church could be reformed in this way. 
He taught him what was not only a shorter way, but the 
only way, even justification by faith ; and that the Bible 
is the only rule, and the all-sufiicient rule, both of our 
faith and conduct. These two principles, when faithfully 
applied, and as far as applied, destroy Popery, root and 
branch. Nor can any system of error be destroyed in 
any other way. It is not possible to effect a moral re- 
formation in any other way. By one of these principles, 
the great upas-tree, upon which grow traditions, and all 
other human inventions, is cut down at a stroke ; while, 
by the other, the sinner himself is slain, his mouth is 
stopped, so that he can no longer utter the language 
of the self-righteous Pharisee; he can only say, and he 
does say, " Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy upon 



SADDUCISM. 147 

nie;" to which cry he soon hears the glorious response, 
*' Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be 
saved." Being assisted by the Holy Spirit, whom he 
asks and receives for the sake of Christ, he does be- 
lieve, he is saved, and goes on his way rejoicing. 

Tlie fact is, salvation by works always was, and eter- 
nally will be, an absolute impossibility. Some people 
loosely talk about unfallen Adam, and unfallen angels 
being saved by works. I beg to say that the word so- 
terlon, salvation, can never, w^ith propriety, be applied 
to any unfallen and holy being. It is applicable only 
to fallen beings whose recovery is still possible. 

Let this suffice for the Pharisees. We will now turn 
to the Sadducees. 

SADDUCISM. 

As there is no medium between grace and merit, it 
follows that those who depart from the doctrine of jus- 
tification by grace through /az^^, pass to Pharisaism at 
the first step, though they may not be aware of it. 
But as this ground is not tenable, and will not bear 
the test of calm reflection, and close scrutiny, especially 
when moved thereto by the force of Gospel truth ap- 
plied by the Holy Spirit, those who occupy it become 
dissatisfied and unsettled, and if they do not return to 
the fundamental principle of justification by faith, they 
pass on to Sadducism ; that is they become skeptical ; 
in other w^ords, they try to disbelieve certain funda- 
mental principles of the Christian system, especially 
those which trouble them most. As the transition from 
Pharisaism to Sadducism is so easy, and, under some 
circumstances, inevitable, we find these two classes of 



148 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

character in close proximity, and sometimes comming- 
ling together in the same churches : yea, and occupying 
the same pulpits and the same pews. In support of 
these views, and to obtain a correct knowledge of Sad- 
ducism, we will now glance at the principles and char- 
acter of the ancient Sadducees, as presented in the New 
Testament. 

Matt. iii. 7. " But when he saw many of the Phari- 
sees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto 
them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to 
flee from the wrath to come ? Bring forth therefore 
fruits meet for repentance.'' Mark ! Here we find them 
together, and both classes commingling with the true 
seekers and worshippers. Here is a lesson for those 
who are engaged in religious revivals ; look out for a 
union of Pharisees and Sadducees on such occasions. 

And mark well how this intrepid and faithful 
preacher addressed them. His keen eye discriminated, 
and his eloquent lips pronounce truth and reproof 
equally appropriate. These hypocritical Pharisees 
and Sadducees are denominated a "generation of vi- 
pers," and are threatened with " wrath to come." This 
is just what the Sadducee did not believe, and what 
the self-righteous Pharisee did not fear. Hence such 
preaching is the most appropriate for such characters ; 
people need to hear what they do not believe, raore 
than what they do, but a coward can preach the latter, 
while it requires a hero to preach the former. Matt, 
xvi. 1, " The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, 
and tempting desired him that he would show them a 
sign from heaven." Plere we find the Pharisees and the 
Sadducees again together, and so much alike, that it 



SADDUCISM. 149 

would be difficult to distinguish them ; they are alike 
unbelieving, and alike hypocritical : hence Jesus pro- 
nounces them all "hypocrites/' and '^a wicked and 
adulterous generation ; " and refusing to give them " a 
sign," save that of " Jonas the prophet," " he left them 
and departed." Then to his disciples he said, " Take 
heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of 
the Sadducees." At the 12th verse this " leaven " is 
called *^ the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sad- 
ducees," thus marking the oneness of the two parties, 
and showing that they were both poisoned by the same 
leaven, and that this leaven is so poisonous that the dis- 
ciples had need to "beware of it." And the disciples 
of Jesus still need to beware of this deadly poison, for 
just as soon as you depart from the doctrine of justifi- 
cation by grace, through faith, you are on Pharisaic 
ground, and on the high road to Sadducism, and abso- 
lutely destitute of the peculiar power. Hence the 
necessity of the present investigation. But, let us fol- 
low these Sadducees still further for the purpose already 
specified. 

The Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians, have such 
an affinity for each other, that we cannot do justice to 
our subject or obtain a full and clear view of either 
class by confining our investigations to one class at a 
time. We must take them up as they are presented in 
Scripture, sometimes separately, and sometimes united- 
ly. In Matt. xxii. we find all the three classes attack- 
ing Jesus, sometimes separately, and sometimes united- 
ly. At verse 15 we read, " Then went the Pharisees 
and took counsel how they might entangle him in his 
talk. And they sent unto him their disciples, with 

13* 



150 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art 
true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither 
carest thou for any man ; for thou regardest not the 
person of men. Tell us therefore, what thinkest thou ? 
Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cesar or not ?" The 
wicked and hypocritical Pharisees having consulted 
how they might "entangle" Jesus, concluded that they 
would succeed better in political than in theological 
questions, and knowing that the Herodians were ex- 
pert in such matters, they called them to their assist- 
ance, and promptly did the Herodians obey the call, 
and with an ability worthy of thorough politicians, 
they propounded their ensnaring question. " But Jesus 
perceiving their wickedness, said, why tempt ye me, 
ye hypocrites?" Observing with what wisdom he 
foiled them in their wicked purpose, and exposed their 
hypocrisy, "they marvelled, and left him, and went 
their way." They simply recognized our blessed Lord 
as being too shrewd for them, in this instance, hoping, 
doubtless, to outwit him at some future time ; for, like 
most politicians, they had no idea of anything superior 
to successful political strategy; in their thinking they 
never rose high enough to embrace a purely theological 
or religious idea; all their questions were "highly 
political." 

Jesus having repulsed the first and third divisions of 
this great antichrist! an army^ the second division is at 
once advanced into line of battle, hence at verse 28 we 
read, " The same day came to him the Sadducees, 
which say there is no resurrection, and asked him say- 
ing," &c., &c. " Jesus answered and said unto them, 
ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power 



SADDUC13M. 151 

of God." Having exposed their ignorance, and the 
weakness of their attempt to turn Scripture teaching 
into ridicule, he no longer acts on the defensive merely, 
but proceeds to refute their grand principle, viz: 
that there is neither angel, spirit nor resurrection. To 
this end he quotes from Moses, whom they profess to 
believe, and who represents God as saying, " I am the 
God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God 
of Jacob. God is not the God of the dead, but of the 
living." The Sadducees were now silenced and routed. 
And although it does not appear that they were bene- 
fitted at all, the listening multitude were; for it is said 
" when the multitudes heard thisy they were astonished 
at his doctrine." " But when the Pharisees heard that 
he had put the Sadducees to silence, they w^ere 
gathered together. Then one of them, a lawyer, 
asked, tempting him, and saying, w^hich is the great 
commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him. Thou 
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and 
with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the 
first and great commandment. And the second is 
like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 
On these tw^o commandments hang all the law and the 
prophets." Having answered all -the questions and 
refuted all the objections of his three grand oppo- 
nents, the Pharisee J the Sadducee, and the Herodian, 
Jesus asked the former a question, "Saying, w^hat think 
ye of Christ ? Whose son is he ? They say unto him, 
the son of David. He saith unto them. How then 
doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying. The Lord 
said unto my Lord, sit thou on my right hand, till I 
make thine enemies thy footstool ? If David then 



152 POWER WITH COD AND WITH MEN. 

call him Lord, how is he his son ? And no man was 
able to answer him a word, neither durst any man, 
from that day forth, ask him any more questions/' 
Thus did Jesus turn to flight, in one day, these three 
grand armies of the aliens. The principles defended 
and established by our blessed Lord and by his fore- 
runner, John the Baptist, and rejected, directly or im- 
pliedly, by these three sects, demand the most serious 
attention. We will simply specify them. The inspi- 
ration of the Scriptures ; the j)erson, character and work 
of Christ ; the doctrine of the Trinity ; the nature of 
true religion; the existence of angels, and of human 
spirits after death; the resurrection of the human body ; 
and wrath to come. Now, let it be distinctly observed, 
that these are the doctrines which are still denied, 
directly or impliedly, by all who do not embrace the 
doctrine of justification by faith ; and it is not em- 
braced by Sadducees, Pharisees, or Herodians. Other 
doctrines they may deny, but these are specially 
objecti Oil able to them. The Pharisees may not directly 
deny all these doctrines, but they positively deny some 
of them, and do not properly believe any of them. At 
best they have unbelief enough to render their salva- 
tion impossible, while they persist in it; enough to 
render a union with Sadducees and Herodians easy 
here, and certain hereafter. Of course, under certain 
circumstances they will fight with these their near 
neighbors, but under others they will readily unite 
with them, as all history shows ; though all these 
doctrines are denied by the Sadducees. And as for 
the Herodians they are so earthly-minded that their 
thoughts do not rise high enough, even to enter into a 



SADDUCISM. 153 

controversy about them. Moreover, as political flat- 
terers and office seekers, it would not • comport with 
their selfish interests to assert or deny any of them, 
unless it should seem that by doing so they would pro- 
mote their political interests ; for all their movements 
are " highly political !'' as we shall show in due time. 
Meantime, let us dwell a little longer upon the char- 
acter and doings of the Sadducees. In Acts, iv. 1-8, 
we read, " And as they spake unto the people, the 
priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Saddu- 
cees came upon them, being grieved that they taught 
the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection 
from the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put 
them in hold unto the next day ; for it was now even- 
tide." Again, the Apostles having wrought some of 
the most wonderful miracles, in consequence of which 
the work of God was progressing gloriously, we are 
told. Chap, v., 17-20, " Then the high priest rose up, 
and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of 
the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, and 
laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the 
common prison. But the angel of the Lord by night 
opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and 
said, "Go stand and speak in the temple to the people 
all the words of this life." But neither the preaching 
nor the miracles had any influence upon the Sadducees, 
save to develop their hatred of the holy teachers, and 
of that which they taught. It is necessary to observe 
this that we may appreciate the truth here contended 
for, and dread the errors here opposed. For whoever 
rejects the doctrine of justification by faith, is on the 
high road to all the hopelessness and ruin of these Phar- 



154 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

isees and Sadducees ! Nor will anything short of the 
principles and power for which we contend, fortify us 
against the soul-destroying principles, and the incessant 
and deadily opposition of Pharisees and Sadducees. 
The voice of God to all is, *' Save yourselves from this 
untoward generation," for, remember, these characters 
now, as of old time, are in the pulpits and pews of God's 
temple. That they filled the highest offices in the 
Jewish Church and nation is quite certain, the Saddu- 
cees as well as the Pharisees. Indeed, the Sadducees 
seem to have gained the ascendancy, both in the church 
and nation. Calmet, in his Dictionary, says, " They held 
the chief offices in the nation, and many of the priests 
were Sadducees." Again, he says, " John Hircanus, 
high priest of the nation, separated himself in a signal 
manner from the sect of the Pharisees, and w^ent over 
to that of the Sadducees. It is said, also, that he 
strictly commanded all Jews, on pain of death, to re- 
ceive the maxims of this sect. Aristobulus and Alex- 
ander Jannaeus, son of Hircanus, continued to favor 
the Sadducees, and Abraham Vendior, Cabbaly, and 
Maimonides, assure us, that under these princes they 
possessed all the offices of the Sanhedrim, and that 
there remained in \ he party of the Pharisees, only Si- 
mon, son of Secre. Caiphas, who condemned our Sa- 
viour, was a Sadducee, as w^as Ananias the younger, 
who put to death James, brother of our Lord." Learned 
men are very much perplexed in attempting to account 
for this, seeing ^' the Sadducees say there is no resurrec- 
tion, neither angel nor spirit, but the Pharisees confess 
both." Acts, xxiii. 8. They are at a loss to know how 
they could profess a belief in the Scriptures; how they 



SADDUCISM. 155 

could hold offices in the church, while these ^yere their 
sentiments. They also find it difficult to account for 
the fact that the Pharisees and Sadducees commingled 
together in the same Church, while holding such oppo- 
site views. And conceiving the thing to be impossible, 
some learned men have even attempted to show that 
the Sadducees did not hold the opinions attributed to 
them in the Scriptures. But even though they should 
succeed in this attempt, what will they do with the 
fact that the same phenomena exists in the professedly 
Christian church at the present day ? Are there not 
multitudes of Pharisees and Sadducees in the Church 
of England ? Yes, verily, so much so that the Saddu- 
cees threaten to gain the ascendancy, even over the 
Pharisees, numerous and influential as they are. Nor 
is it much better, if any, in a large proportion of pro- 
fessedly protestant Germany. Has not rationalism, or, 
more properly speaking, Sadducism, already gained the 
ascendancy? And as for the Church of Rome, it would 
be difficult to find one within her pale, from the Pope 
down, that is not a Sadducee or a Pharisee. And as to 
the people called Adventists, or no-soulites, they un- 
blushingly preach the very same tenets attributed to 
the ancient Sadducees. The Universalists and Sweden- 
borgians occupy about the same ground, together with 
spiritualists, and a whole host of phrenological and 
other lecturers. To these must be added DeistSj Uni- 
tarians, and all the various tribes of Arians. Nor does 
the evil stop here. If we turn to what are called or- 
thodox churches, w^e shall find multitudes of Pharisees, 
and not a few Sadducees ; persons who do not believe 
that there is a hell of fire, where the unsaved shall eter- 



156 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

nally suffer; do not believe in the existence of the devil 
and his angels ; do not believe in the resurrection of 
the human body, any more than did the ancient Sad- 
ducees. Yet all these profess to believe the Scriptures, 
yea, and preach too, and that to crowded and highly 
delighted audiences. These are all Pharisees or Sad- 
ducees, as are all others who do not hold the doctrine 
of salvation by grace through faith. And as to Phari- 
sees and Sadducees complacently mingling with each 
other, most of them do so now as formerly, when they 
find it necessary to oppose a revival of genuine religion. 
At other times they will quarrel as formerly, especially 
when the Pharisees become very zealous in support of 
their traditions and ritualistic nonsense, for a Sadducee 
is not inclined to lay much stress upon any religious 
opinions. This is the necessary tendency of his system 
of unbelief. Both Sadducees and Pharisees, however, 
dread an attack from a genuine gospel minister, and 
were it not that they are afraid of provoking some Lu- 
ther to make such an attack upon them, they would 
manifest their hatred to gospel truth and gospel Chris- 
tians more than they do. Indeed it has become a part 
of their strategy to censure with great severity all who 
attempt to expose their errors ; to do so is represented 
as priina facie evidence of a return to the dark days of 
illiberality and bigotry. And they are not a few who 
in this way are frighted into silence, so that in many 
places Pharisaism and Sadducism gain the ascendant, 
and then they become as intolerant as in the days of 
old. But no reformer or faithful minister ever re- 
mained silent with regard to the religious errors of his 
times. Every faithful minister understands the follow- 



SADDUCISM. 157 

ing words and acts accordingly, " Every plant which 
my heavenly father hath not planted, shall be rooted 
up." He knows that the plants of truth and grace 
cannot grow where such plants are permitted to grow. 
Hence, like his Master, he proceeds to root them up, by 
showing that they are poisonous plants, and that " the 
enemy that sowed them is the devil." And all who 
engage in this work of rooting up, will surely bring 
upon themselves the w^rath of Pharisees and Sadducees, 
and tliey will as surely be annoyed by weak disciples, 
who will say to them, as certain disciples said to Jesus, 
" Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended after 
they heard this saying?" but let all such faithful 
men reply in the w^ords of their Master, and steadily 
proceed with their w^ork of rooting up ; it w^ill pay in 
the end ; yea, and bring peace too. 

The reason why Pharisaism tends to Sadducism, 
and why there is an affinity between these two sects, 
may, I think, be easily accounted for ia this way. 
Pharisaism commences by substituting human opinion 
or invention for Divine revelation. This leads to the 
substitution of human merit for that of the atonement, 
to salvation by works, instead of salvation by grace 
through faith. This view is fully supported by the 
word of God, and by matter of fact. An appeal to 
matter of fact w^ill show that this is precisely the way 
in w^hich Pharisaism has been propagated, and the 
word of God is distinct and unmistakable on the sub- 
ject. Hear what Jesus said to the Pharisees of his 
day, w^hen the Pharisees were bold enough to reprove 
Jesus and his disciples for not adhering to their tradi- 
tions, saying, "Why do thy disciples transgress the 

14 



158 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

tradition of the elders ? for they wash not their hands 
when they eat bread;'' Jesus "answered and said unto 
them, why do ye also transgress the commandment of 
God by your tradition T' Observe, tradition and trans- 
gression, go together, and are inseparable ! After speci- 
fying some of the commandments which were trans- 
gressed in this way, our blessed Lord adds, " thus have 
ye made the commandment of God of none effect by 
your tradition." Now, when human invention, human 
merit, and authority, are thus substituted for Divine 
teaching, Divine grace, and Divine authority, the cable 
is slipped, and the bark is afloat, without compass, rud- 
der, or commander, and without special Divine inter- 
position, will surely be lost. It is not possible for a 
thinking man to rest in Pharisaism ; a careful exam- 
ination of Pharisaic principles will drive him back to 
orthodoxy, or forward to Sadducism. It is not possible 
for any thinking man to believe that Pharisaic right- 
eousness will merit heaven, or qualify for it ; nor is it 
possible for such to believe that a holy and just God 
will send 'him to a hell of quenchless fire merely be- 
cause he is not a Pharisee. Hence, I repeat, when 
Pharisees thinhy they will either fall back upon Bible 
truth, or go on to Sadducism, and thence, it may be, to 
down-right Atheism. But, only let a man see, from 
God's own word, that God is good to all, that Jesus 
died for all, that there is salvation in no other, that 
this salvation, consequently, is by grace through faith, 
the gift of a merciful God through the atonement of 
Christ, that by the deeds of the law no flesh living shall 
be justified, that in this way God is just, while he justi- 
fies the ungodly that believe in Jesus ; that being thus 



HERODIANTSM. 159 

justified he has peace with God through our Lord 
Jesus Christ, and rejoices in hope of the glory of God. 
Let him see that there is no other way in which fallen 
man can be saved, that is, made holy and happy, and 
finally glorified, and that, consequently, if he rejects 
this gracious ofier of salvation, for he cannot be forced, 
*' there remaineth, therefore, no more sacrifice for sin, but 
a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery in- 
dignation, which shall devour the adversaries." Let 
him see all this, I say, from God's own word, and instead 
of flying from Pharisaism to what is no better, Saddur- 
cism, he v/ill fly to Jesus, and find redemption in his 
blood. And instead of being a self-righteous Pharisee, 
or a cavilling Sadducee, he will be a happy Christian, 
preaching the faith he once destroyed, and counting all 
things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of 
Christ Jesus his Lord, for whom he is now willing to 
sufier the loss of all things, and count them but dung 
that he may win Christ. 

i^Pharisaism is the source of, and leads to, all error; 
and the doctrine of justification by faith strikes at the 
root of, and is the only sure cure for all error, and all 
evil. " This is the victory that overcometh the world, 
even our faith." 

THE HERODIANS. 

In the New Testament this sect is presented to our no- 
tice in connection with the Pharisees and the Sadducees. 
And though they appear as a distinct sect, they are, 
nevertheless, strangely connected with the other sects, 
and seem to be an integral part both of the Church and 
Nation of the Jews. They seem to be the most undefin- 



160 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

able beings that are presented to our notice either in 
sacred or profane history. Hence commentators and 
others are puzzled in their attempts to define the char- 
acter and fix the position of this anomalous sect. We 
think, however, that a somewhat definite and satisfac- 
tory judgment may be reached with regard to them; 
and as we believe them to be one of the representative 
classes of exceptional character, we will make the at- 
tempt. And to this end we will now give a brief ex- 
hibit of what sacred and other writers say concerning 
them. 

The first place we meet with them in the New Testa- 
ment is in Matt. xxii. And here we find them united 
with the Pharisees and Sadducees in an attempt to "en- 
tangle" our blessed Lord. To this end they propose 
in a very subtile manner this political question : " Is it 
lawful to give tribute unto Csesar, or not ?" But " Je- » 
sus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt 
ye me, ye hypocrites?" How our blessed Lord exposed, 
confounded, and caused them to retire in confusion, is 
well known. In Mark xii. 13, we have the same or a , 
similar record of these Herodians. In his third chap- 
ter, also, this Evangelist gives us the following, at verse 
6. "And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway 
took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they 
might destroy him." 

By these inspired records the following particulars 
are clearly established. First, the Herodians were 
"wicked," and they were "hypocritical," so wicked that 
they were always ready to " entangle " and " destroy " 
** the Lord of life and glory ;" so hypocritical, that 
while thiB was their object, they pretended to act for 



HERODIANISM. 161 

the good of the Church and State. Second, when the 
Pharisees would accomplish their w^orst purposes 
against Jesus, they consulted and employed the wicked 
and hypocritical Herodians, who, to accomplish their 
own wicked and selfish ends, were always ready to 
offer their service. Hence, third, while they maintain 
a kind of distinct organization, we, nevertheless, find 
them connected with Church and State parties, 
whether Pharisees or Sadducees. But, fourth, although 
they were ready to unite with, or be employed by 
any party, if they thought their selfish ends would 
thereby be promoted, they were, nevertheless, strangely 
non-committal. They were not religious enough to 
profess Pharisaism, nor honest enough to profess Sad- 
ducism ; because, fifth, all their movements were 
" highly political.'' Hence, they were ready to sell 
themselves to any party or to perpetrate any crime, if 
thereby they might promote their political and selfish 
purposes. The object of their worship was the reigning 
prince, whether Herod, Caligula, or Caesar. His dictum 
was with them " the higher law\" To afibrd additional 
proof of all that we have here said, we may now glance at 
what has been said of these bad men by uninspired 
writers. 

In Colmet's Dictionary, under the article Herodians, 
we have the following. — "Dr. Prideaux judges that 
their doctrines were reducible to two heads : 1. a 
belief that the dominion of the Romans over the Jew^s 
was just, and that it was their duty to submit to it ; 2. 
that in the present circumstances they might with a 
good conscience follow many heathen modes and 
usages. It is certain these were Herod's principles, 

14* 



162 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

who pleaded the necessity of the times, for doing many 
things contrary to the. maxims of the Jewish religion." 
Dr. Adam Clark, when speaking of Herod and the 
Herodians, in his comment on Matt, xvi., says, ** He 
built temples, set up images, and joined in heathen 
worship, though he professed the Jewish religion ; and 
this was in opposition to all the law and the prophets. 
From this we may learn that the Herodians were such 
as, first, held it lawful to transfer the divine govern- 
ment to a heathen ruler; and secondly, to conform 
occasionally, to heathenish rites in their religious 
worship. In short, they appear to have be^n persons 
who trimmed between God and the world — who en- 
deavored to reconcile his service with that of mammon 
— and who were religious just as far as it tended to 
secure their secular interests. It is probable that 
this sect was at last so blended with, that it became 
lost in, the sect of the Sadducees ; for the persons w^ho 
are called Herodians, Mark viii. 15, are styled Saddu- 
cees in verse 6 of this chapter.'' 

In support of these inspired and uninspired sketches' 
of Herodian character, we might quote Joseph us and 
other writers, but we judge it unnecessary ; the deline- 
ation of character being already sufficiently clear and 
full, and sufficiently authenticated. We will now group 
together the more striking features of their charac- 
ter, that the whole may be seen at a glance ; then we 
shall be prepared for the application. 

They were so carnal and selfish that their sole object 
of pursuit was their own temporal interest. Hence, 
to this end, they were ready to lay anything and every- 
thing, under contribution, w^hether sacred or profane. 



HERODIANISM. 163 

It IS this fact that rendered their character so undefin- 
able, especially when viewed at a distance. But the 
more prominent actors in this class of character, 
having turned their attention, more especially to poli- 
tics, their more distinguishing characteristic was that 
of the office-seeking politicians. Hence, most of their 
movements were " highly political," they were, as Dr. 
Doddredge observes, "complaisant courtiers." The 
object of their worship was the reigning prince, whether 
Jew or Gentile it mattered not ; his views were theirs ; 
and with him they were ready to "swing round the 
entire circle " at any time ; w^hether the circle com- 
prehended Judaism or heathenism. For the same 
reason they w^ere ready to flatter, or unite with any 
party, whether Pharisees, Saddueees, Essenes — or even 
Fenians, if such creatures then existed. For the same 
reason, " they held it lawful," as Dr. Clark observes, 
"to transfer the divine government to a heathen 
ruler," whose ipse dixity in their view, was " the higher 
law." Hence, as the doctor further observes, " they 
were religious just as far as it tended to promote their 
secular interest." It follows, that they were just what 
the unerring Judge says they were, wicked hypo- 
crites. Finally, the affinity, if not the oneness, of 
Pharisaism, Sadducism, and Herodianism, is such, that 
our blessed Lord comprehends the whole in the same 
term and in the same warning — " And he charged 
them saying. Take heed, beware of the leaven of the 
Pharisees, and the leaven of Herod." Llark viii. 15. 
This selfish and hypocritical leaven corrupts and 
assimilates all in whom it finds a lodgment ; therefore 
" Take heed," says Jesus, " beware of the leaven of the 



164 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

Pharisees and of the Herodians." Pharisees, Saddu- 
eees, and Herodians are so numerous and so deceitful, 
and their leaven has such an affinity to fallen 
humanity, that even the disciples of Jesus are in 
danger of being infected by this terrible plague. Hence 
Jesus addresses this warning to his disciples, his imme- 
diate followers. O how much danger there is of " hav- 
ing men's persons in admiration because of advantage." 
None are free from this leaven, this virus, but those who 
have a pure heart, a single eye. And none have this 
but those who are "justified by faith," "born of the 
Spirit," " created anew in Christ Jesus unto good works, 
which God hath before ordained that we should walk 
in them." These only have the mind that was in Je- 
sus ; the mind of him who " went about doing good ; " 
who, " though he was rich, for our sakes became poor, 
that we through his poverty might be rich." None 
but these know that great truth and practice it — " It 
is more blessed to give than to receive." All others 
are carnal and selfish — are Pharisees, Sadducees, or 
Herodians. For if they give anything, they give it to 
purchase the favor of God or the favor of Herod. And 
if they give nothing, it is because they are Sadducees, 
and " neither fear God nor regard man." And as all 
are Pharisees, Sadducees, or Herodians, who are not 
justified by faith, it follows that none but those who 
are justified by faith have the peculiar, the moral power, 
of which we have been writing. Pharisees, Sadducees 
and Herodians, are alike destitute of moral power. 
They are not " vessels of honor, sanctified and meet for 
the master's use." They have not a pure heart, a 
single eye ; they are carnal and selfish : and no power 



HERODIANISM. 165 

in the universe can make them otherwise, but the 
power that regenerates, that creates anew in Christ 
Jesus. And, observe, it is only the penitent, believing 
soul that is thus renewed ! None are regenerated, 
sanctified, and constitute the temple of God but those 
w^ho are justified ; and none are justified but those who 
believe — " For by grace are ye saved, through faith ; 
and that not of yourselves ; it is the gift of God ; not 
of works, lest any man should boast." Thus again our 
principle is established. 

Those who wall carefully examine the character of 
the ancient Herodians, as above delineated, will not 
need to be told that this class of character still is, and 
ever has been very numerous. O how many are there 
who adopt, vary, modify, and change, both their politi- 
cal and religious principles, just as their temporal in- 
terests may seem to demand : and all such are Herodi- 
ans, if not Sadducees also ; for the transition from one 
of these classes to the other, is so easy, that it is con- 
stantly going on : and Pharisaism is the great depot from 
w^hich both these classes receive their supplies, while 
Pharisaism itself is the first-born son of fallen Adam! 
Now, I must repeat, once more, the doctrine of justifi- 
cation by faith, and that alone, is the grand remedy for 
all these deadly errors : there is not another ! No 
preacRing that does not clearly develop and faithfully 
apply this great doctrine, this fundamental principle, 
will ever raise the people above mere heathen morali- 
ty. All other preaching is a mere daubing wdth un- 
tempered mortar : it may cleanse the outside of the 
cup and platter; it may w^hite wash the sepulchre; but 
it leaves untouched the corruption wathin. Where this 



166 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

doctrine is not preached, the doctrine of the fall, the 
doctrine of man's total depravity and utter helpless- 
ness, is not preached. Where this doctrine is not 
preached, Pharisaism, Sadducism, Herodianism, Arian- 
ism, Socinianism, Unitarianism, Universalism, Advent- 
ism, Spiritualism, Swedenborgianism, Antinomianism, 
Nestorianism, Sabellianism, Eutychianism, Pelagian- 
ism, Manichianism, Fatalism, Materialism, Mysticism, 
Fanaticism, Stoicism, and every other pernicious i>m, 
may be expected to abound, just as circumstances, and 
the whims and ignorance of men may suggest. And 
the preacher that is not in favor of these isms, but does 
not preach the doctrine of justification by faith, may 
declaim against them all, with the eloquence of a De- 
mosthenes, the philosophy of a Plato, and the logical 
acumen of an Aristotle, but he will not prevail. Yea, 
Pharisaism, which is the source of all the isms, will 
grow and prevail right in his church, and Pharisees 
will sit undisturbed around his desk, regardless of all 
he can say ; unless he clearly and faithfully develops 
and applies the great doctrine of justification by faith 
alone ! He is a power, ojid he only, tuho enjoys and 
preaches Salvation by faith. The Scriptures which 
we have quoted, the historic facts which we have ad- 
duced, and the Christian experience to which we have 
appealed, all go to establish this great truth. Newman 
can point to a single moral reform that did not result 
from the preaching of this doctrine. No man can point 
to a living church at this day, in which this doctrine 
is not preached. Nor do I hesitate to say, that a care- 
ful investigation will discover the fact that every 
church is alive or dead, just in proportion as this doc- 



HERODIANISM. 167 

trine is, or is not, clearly and faithfully preached. Nor 
can you find under the whole heaven, a man or church 
possessing moral power, only in so far as that man or 
church has experienced, and still holds and propa- 
gates, the glorious doctrine of salvation by grace 
THROUGH FAITH. With this doctrine the whole Chris- 
tian system stands or falls. Reject this doctrine and 
you cannot consistently hold any other doctrine in the 
system. Hold this doctrine, and to be consistent, you 
must hold every other doctrine of the Christian system. 
Were it necessary, I should not find it a difficult task 
to produce arguments which would establish these pro- 
positions with all the certainty of demonstration ; for 
these propositions are as susceptible of proof as are any 
propositions. If man is what the Bible says he is, 
none but God can save him. And if Jesus is the Sa- 
viour, the only Saviour of man, he must be God ; and 
if this Salvation be not of works, it must be of grace ; 
and if it is conditional, that condition must be faith ; 
for as merit and works go together, so do grace and 
faith. Thus it is that all the parts of this wonderful 
and glorious system are connected ; each one following 
the other as necessarily as effect follows cause, or as a 
eonseqiient follows a given proposition. Take a single 
instance. If Jesus is David's God and David's son, 
then he must be both God and man: admit the former, 
and you must admit the latter. Let this suffice as an 
illustration and proof of what we claim. 

Having discovered the conditions of moral power, 
specifying the principles with which this power is in- 
separably connected ; and having shown that they are 
Pharisees, Sadducees, or Herodians, who do not possess 



168 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

the power and principles specified : and having es- 
tablished our position, as we believe, by Scripture, 
experience, and the facts of history, it only remains 
that we call attention to a certain evil, and point out 
that which is at once the preventive and the remedy. 

The evil to which we refer is this : both individuals 
and churches who once possessed the power have lost 
it. This also is abundantly established by Scripture, 
history and experience. The primitive Christian 
Churches had the power, but it was not long before 
many of them, like that at Laodicea, lost it ; and though 
they had the name to live, they were dead. For a 
time they retained " the form of Godliness," but it was 
not long till they even denied the power. And having 
returned to Pharisaism, Sadducism and Herodianism 
came in like a flood, and produced their legitimate fruits. 
Finally all the churches in the East became dead, cor- 
rupt, and corrupting masses ; while Pharisaism, Sad- 
ducism, and Herodianism concentrated in the West, 
crushed out Christianity, and formed that horrible 
thing called Popery. 

Turn to the Reformation of the sixteenth century. 
For a time the power was retained to a greater or less 
extent by the Protestant Churches on the continent of 
Europe ; but they, too, soon lost the power, and, to 
an alarming extent, returned to Pharisaism. And, 
again, Sadducism and Herodianism made their ap- 
pearance under new names, but essentially the same, 
as we have already shown. In England and Scotland, 
the same or a similar loss of life and power was expe- 
rienced, and the same return to Pharisaism, followed 
by the same tendency to Sadducean unbelief, and He- 



SUMMING UP. 169 

rodian carnal policy; accompanied, of course, by a 
corresponding amount of hypocrisy. Then God in 
mercy visited those churches with what is called the 
Wesleyan reformation, in the way which we have al- 
ready described. As to how much of the primitive 
power of this last revival still remains, we do not take 
upon us to say ; our present undertaking does not seem 
to require that we should take up this topic. It may 
be enough to say that while we all have abundance of 
cause to be ashamed, and to repent of our unfaithful- 
ness to our God, and to the glorious dispensation of the 
Gospel committed to us, we have, at the same time, 
much cause to be thankful that so much of the primi- 
tive power still remains with us. But that we may not 
lose, either in whole or in part, the glorious power which 
our fathers had, and which they bequeathed to us, let 
us guard against those errors which have led to its loss 
in other churches, and this leads us to point out what 
is at once the preveritive and the remedy. 

Indeed we have done this already, if we are correct 
in what we have specified as the conditions of moral 
power. But that the whole may be seen at a glance, 
we will repeat in this connection, that the whole of 
genuine religion may be expressed in three terms, viz : 
Doctrine, Experience, and Practice. The first 
saves us from Latitudinarianism, Sadducism, and Scep- 
ticism of every kind : the second saves us from Phari- 
saism ; and the third saves us from Herodianism, or 
Antinomianism ; in a word, it regulates the life, and 
makes us do as well as say, sweeping away all hypocrisy. 
Without the doctrine there cannot be the experience, 
for it is by grace we are saved through faith ; and with- 

15 



170 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

out the experience there cannot be the practice, for an 
unholy nature cannot produce a holy life ; and we can- 
not have a holy nature without regeneration and 
sanctification ; and we cannot have the latter without 
justification ; and we cannot have justification without 
faith ; and we cannot have faith without doctrine ; for 
"faith cometh by hearing the word of God," especially 
this word, " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou 
shalt be saved ; " and this implies a knowledge of the 
condemnation, corruption, and helplessness wKich ren- 
ders salvation necessary; and this again implies a 
knowledge of the nature and extent of the salvation need- 
ed ; and all these unite to sweep away Pharisaism, root 
and branch, impressing upon the inmost soul the convic- 
tion, that it is by grace we are saved through faith, and that 
not of ourselves ; it is the gift of God, Thus every pro- 
cess of just reasoning leads to precisely the same 
conclusion, showing most conclusively, that faith and 
the doctrines essential thereto, lie at the very founda- 
tion; and are essential to the very existence of Christian 
experience and Christian practice. It follows that, 
whether we would obtain, restore, or retain, the life and 
power of Christianity, we must embrace and hold the 
doctrines ; especially the doctrine of the fall ; that of 
the atonement, justification by faith, regeneration by 
the Spirit, the witness of the Spirit, and entire holiness 
through the all-cleansing blood of Jesus, by faith alone. 
And all these must be applied and enforced by the aw- 
ful truth, that whoever is not thus saved must be 
damned. Let these doctrines go, and a return to Phari- 
saism and death is inevitable, and all the other errors 
will follow from time to time. But how is all this to 



SUMMING UP. 171 

be prevented ? I answer, first — Keep a strict watch at 
the entrance of the pulpit, and allow none to enter that 
holy and exalted place but such as hold and can preach 
the Christian doctrines, and have the experience and 
the practice, which are at once the evidence and the 
fruits thereof. Second, Keep a strict watch at the door 
of the church, and let doctrine, experience and practice 
be the test of membership. This will do away with the 
low and pernicious ideas which are so generally enter- 
tained with regard to the Christian Ministry, and the 
fellowship of the saints. Then shall be fulfilled that 
Scripture — " For the Lord hath chosen Zion : he hath 
desired it for his habitation. This is my rest forever : 
here will I dwell : for I have desired it. I will abun- 
dantly bless her provisions : I will satisfy her poor with 
bread. I will also clothe her priests with salvation, 
and her saints shall shout aloud for joy." To be a min- 
ister or a member of such a church means something. 
The clothing here spoken of is very different from the 
ritualistic trumpery for which some priests contend so 
earnestly. 

Seeing the Christian doctrines are so essential to the 
life, power, and prosperity of the Church, and even to 
the very existence of Christian experience and prac- 
tice, we think it is matter for regret that the summary 
statement of our doctrines, as given in our Discipline, is 
not more complete than it is. True, all our doctrines 
may be found in our standard works, and in the works 
included in the Course of Study for the Ministry. But 
we humbly submit whether this is sufficient. If a min- 
ister in our church should reject the doctrines not speci- 
fied in that summary, and preach accordingly, how 



172 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

would the church act in that case ? If such a minister 
were brought to trial, as he certainly should be, would 
he be tried by all our standard works, or by the sum- 
mary of doctrines found in the Discipline? If by the 
former, who shall decide as to what are our standard 
works ? And if by the latter, how could you condemn 
him for not holding and preaching doctrines that are 
not contained in what is given as the summary of our 
doctrines ? 

I know it has been said that we depend, or have (ie- 
pended principally, upon the piety of the church for 
the preservation of her doctrines. If by piety is meant 
Christian experience and practice, then this theory re- 
presents the cause as depending upon the effect for its 
own existence, which is absurd and impossible. I ad- 
mit that doctrine, experience, and practice, when they 
exist together, mutually support each other ; but this 
is entirely consistent with our position, viz : that the 
doctrine is essentially necessary both to the existence 
and continuance of experience and practice. Take 
away the doctrine and there is nothing left; if the 
house was already built it falls when you take away 
the foundation ; and if it was not, there is nothing upon 
which to build if you take away the foundation. Now 
the foundation of which we speak is said to be *' the 
apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the 
chief corner stone ;'^ and you take away this founda- 
tion when you take away the doctrines. The church 
must live so long as she properly holds the doctrines, 
especially those which we have specified. If the doc- 
trine of salvation by faith properly embraced gives life, 
the same doctrine held fast must continue that life. 



SUMMING UP. 173 

No church or individual ever fell, or ever can fall, 
while properly holding to this doctrine. " Take heed 
to thyself, and to the doctrine; continue in them: for 
in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them 
that hear thee." 1 Tim. iv. 16. 

By turning to fallen churches we are admonished of 
another error, viz.; this, their depending upon the 
piety of the fathers, while they had none of their own. 
The fallen Jewish church kept crying, "We have 
Abraham to our father," when Christ said, " Ye are 
of your father, the devil." The fallen Christian church, 
too, was constantly talking and arguing about the 
fathers, even during the dark ages. As for the Church 
of Rome, she will have nothing but certain fathers ; 
and, what makes the matter worse, she makes fathers 
of all sorts of sinners and errorists. Others talk about 
Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, Lattimer, 
Ridley and others ; while they are utterly destitute of 
their piety. And Methodists, too, are in danger of fall- 
ing into the same error. Nay, many have talked loud- 
ly, and many still talk loudly about " old fashioned 
Methodism," who, we fear, were, or are, more nearly 
related to old fashioned Pharisaism; and the holy 
men to whom they claim kindred, would, we fear, be 
ashamed of them, and, perhaps, disown them, were 
they now living. If we would have the power, and re- 
tain it, let us guard against all these errors. 

Once more. To retain this power, either as churches 
or as individuals, there must be Christiak Progres- 
sion, and to this subject we will now turn our attention. 
All creation is moving, and it is aJbeurd to suppose that 
either the church or the individual Christian can stand 

15* 



174 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

still. Mind moves everything, and thought moves 
mind. Hence, as the means of communicating thought 
become more and more abundant, we should abound 
more and more in Christian activities, and Christian 
progression. The reformers of the 1st, 16th, and 18th 
centuries had to travel principally on foot, or were 
carried occasionally by quadrupeds that could travel 
but little faster ; hence the thinking agents and their 
thoughts moved slowly in those days. Now they move 
with marvellous rapidity, by the force of wind and 
steam. During the time that Paul travelled from Je- 
rusalem to Rome, or Wesley from London to Dublin, 
a man may now pass from the Eastern to the Western 
Continent, and preach the gospel in both hemispheres. 
And as to thought, it is carried, not by two, or by four 
weary feet, but by the lightning, leaping from city to 
city, from island to island, and from continent to con- 
tinent. Hence, even the lightning acts more efficiently 
now than it did in those days. Then it was satisfied to 
leap from cloud to cloud, and thence to the earth, and 
back again. But now, by means of the wire it leaps 
from continent to continent as readily as it then leaped 
from cloud to cloud. Then it carried no thought; now 
it comes freighted with thought every time It is un- 
reasonable, therefore, to suppose that the Christian 
progression that sufficed to meet the claims of God in 
those days, will equally suffice in these days, when the 
means of progression are so much more abundant. 
Let us, therefore, carefully investigate this subject, the 
subject of Christian Progression. 



CHAPTER V. 

THE NATURE, AND NECESSITY, OF CHRISTIAN 
PROGRESSION. 

In support of this proposition the unchangeableness of God, and 
the essential activity of mind are referred to — Progression or 
retrogression inevitable — The word progress furnishes Bun- 
yan with both the title and theme of his remarkable book — 
This idea runs through all the teachings of the bible — Many 
authors are quoted in support of this proposition, and 
many arguments advanced — Many illustrations are given, 
together with criticisms on the original. 

To develop and establish this proposition, is the 
work to which we will now apply our best efforts, 
in the fear of God. 

God is unchangeable^ and he only. Of none but 
the Infinite can it be said that he is '' the same 
yesterday, and to-day, and forever." Hence, all 
creatures are changeable, and this implies progres- 
sion ^ or retrogression, for there are but the two 
directions in which the change can take place. 
This being true, the necessity of progression is 
indisputable ; for that which does not progress, 
must retrograde, there being no medium. 

Again, mind is active, essentially so. I cannot 
conceive of mind, or spirit, as being inactive ; action 
is coeval with its existence, and co-extensive with 
its being. Matter is inert ^ but mind certainly is 

n5 



176 POWER AVTTH GOD ANT) WITH MEN. 

not. There can neither be action without mind, 
nor mind without action. Mere matter cannot 
move itself. Whether it has the solidity of the 
granite-rock, the elasticity of air, or the tenuity of 
the nebula, it is alike destitute of self-action. Not 
so mind ; it is, I repeat, essentially active : action is 
one of its essential properties; when it ceases to act, 
it ceases to be mind, and when it ceases to be mind, 
it ceases to be. Mental action is moral action. 
You can no more divest mental action of moral 
quality, than you can divest mind of a moral 
nature. Moral action must be good or bad ; to 
suppose it to be neither, implies a palpable contra- 
diction ; it may be good, better, or best ; bad, worse, 
or worst ; but neither good nor bad it cannot be, 
for the word moral implies quality, either good or 
bad ; and this, again, implies progression, or retro- 
gression, and is another argument in favor of the 
necessity of Christian Progression, seeing not to 
progress, is to retrograde, or, to use the common 
expression, backslide. So true it is, that *' there is 
no standing still in religion." Nor is it any more 
possible to stand still in sin, nor in any thing. 
This law extends to all that is created, but is most 
strikingly seen in the vegetable, the animal and 
the mental departments ; and still more so, perhaps, 
in the religious world, where probation, and pro- 
gression, are so peculiarly connected. 

The manner in which John Bunyan seizes and 
presents the principle of Christian progress is, we 
think, worth}^ of a passing notice. The word pro- 
gress, furnishes the immortal dreamer with both 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 1^7 

the name and subject of his book. He does not call 
it the pilgrims' journey, the pilgrims' history, the 
pilgrims' adventures, or the pilgrims' conflicts ; 
though all these ideas are included ; no, he calls it 
*' The Pilgrims' Progress," and from the title page, 
to the last page of his wonderful book, he never 
departs from, or loses sight of this grand principle 
He finds the subject of his wonderful narrative in 
*' The City of Destruction ;" and he represents that 
person as being moved to set out on the adven- 
turous journey by a single idea, or conviction, viz., 
this, if I remain here I will he destroyed! And, 
let it be distinctly noticed, no one ever set out on 
that pilgrimage, or ever will, till moved by that same 
idea. " I perish," was the language of the prodigal 
son ; and with this conviction in his mind, and these 
words on his lips, he started for his father's house, 
and to his father's house he came. Nor was it a 
mere illusion of the imagination that led the prodi- 
gal thus to think and act, ; no, it was stern and ter- 
rible reality ; for he certainly would have perished 
had he remained where he was, and he knew it j 
hence he rose and departed ; nor does any one start 
on the Christian journey till moved by the same con- 
viction. Therefore, let all who would move sin- 
ners to flee from destruction, labor to convince 
them of the certainty of their destruction, if they 
remain where they are. In this, as in other partic- 
ulars, John Bunyan adhered closely to bible teach- 
ing. 

But let us follow Bunyan's pilgrim a few moments 
that we may see how our dreamer develops his 



1Y8 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

grand idea of Christian progress. Moved by this 
terrible conviction, the alarmed sinner starts ; and 
when his neighbours would persuade him to remain, 
he stops his ears, and runs crying '' life, life.'^ He 
groans, however, under a heav}'' burden, but still he 
urges forward, as best he may, till he gets a sight 
of the crosSy when the cords that bind the burden 
to his back are at once snapped in sunder, and the 
burden falling off, rolls into the open grave of a 
risen Saviour. Nor does he stop here, or at the 
Slough of Despond either, but still urges his way 
through and beyond. Neither is the progress 
terminated by the attractions of '' Yanity Fair," nor 
by those of " By-path Meadow," nor even by " The 
Hill Difficulty ;" still the progress is upward and on- 
ward. And even when the fields of *'Beulah" are 
reached, ''where the sun never sets," and where the 
pilgrim^s locks are wafted by breezes from the pro- 
mised land, still the progress is continued ; onward 
and onward : now Jordan is reached, but even here, 
the pilgrim does not so much as pause, but dashes 
through the swelling flood, and is soon in ''that 
good land beyond Jordan," — 

" Where everlasting spring abides 

And never-withering flowers ;"' 

and even now, the progress continues, and will, 
while endless ages roll ; for immutability is as im- 
possible in heaven as on earth ; God alone is immu- 
table. 

It is. not till we examine the Scriptures with 
regard to this great principle, that we discover the 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 179 

prominent place that it there occupies, and the 
frequency with which it is developed and inforced. 
Take a few instances — '^Therefore leaving the prin- 
ciples of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto 
perfection. '^ By reference to this passage, Heb. x., 
it will be seen that the Apostle inforces this exhorta- 
tion lest we '' fall away,'^ showing that between pro- 
gression, and r^etrogression, there is no medium, and 
this is as true of churches as it is of individuals ! 
Again. ** Not as though I had already attained, 
either were already per feet ^but I followed after, if 
that I may apprehend that for which also I am 
apprehended by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count 
not myself to have apprehended : but this one thing 
I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and 
reaching forth unto those things which are before, 
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high 
calling of God in Christ Jesus." So completely 
was Paul's mind occupied with the idea of progress, 
that he considered himself as having but '' this one 
thing'' to attend to, so far as he himself was con- 
cerned. Onward, and onward, with increased, and 
increasing si3eed, he urged his wa}^ exclaiming, 
^* This one thing I do, forgetting those things which 
are behind, and reaching forth unto those things 
which are before, I press toward the mark for the 
prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." 
Deeply impressed with the glorious idea that his 
was a HIGH CALLING, Paul left behind, rose above, 
and even forgot what was little and low, com- 
paratively, and rose higher and higher in his heaven- 
ward flight. As when the eagle soars aloft, the 



180 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

earth and earthly objects seem to become less and 
less, till they are wholly lost sight of, and even 
forgotten ; while the sun 'toward which she flies 
seems constantly increasing in magnitude and splen- 
dor. In like manner, the things that Paul left be- 
hind seemed to become less and less, till they were 
wholly lost sight of, and even forgotten, while the 
object toward which he soared seemed to be con- 
stantly increasing in magnitude and splendor. 
This is the idea that Charles Wesley seized, and 
attempted to express* in the following beautiful 
lines : — 

" Patient the appointed race to run, 
This wearj world we cast behind ; 
From strength to strength we travel on, 

The New Jerusalem to find; 
Our labor this, our only aim, \ 

To find the New Jerusalem. 

" Through thee, who all our sins hast borne 

Freelj and graciously forgiven, 
With songs to Zion we return, 

Contending for our native heaven ; 
That palace of our glorious King, — 
We find it nearer while we sing. 

" Baised by the breath of love divine, 

We urge our way with strength renewed ; 

The church of the first-born to join. 
We travel to the Mount of God : 

With joy upon our heads arise. 

And meet our Saviour in the skies." 

Such pilgrims are journejdng in what Bunyan 
calls ** The land of Beulah," where the sun never 



CURISTIAN PROGRESSION. 181 

sets;'- such pilgrims '' rejoice evermore, pray with- 
out ceasing, and in everything give thanks." And 
as to ''The Slough of Despond,'^ "Vanity Fair,'' 
and '' Doubting Castle,'' they have long since been 
left far behind, out of sight, and are even forgotten. 
But still the progress continues, ''from strength to 
strength," and "from glory to glory:" and as they 
go they exclaim, " Ej^e hath not seen, nor ear heard, 
neither have entered into the heart of man, the 
things which God hath prepared for them that love 
him." This progress must continue while end- 
less ages roil, and at everj'' period of duration it 
will remain strictly true, that eye hath not seen, 
nor heart conceived, save in part, what " God hath 
prepared for them that love him ;" for, as Richard 
Watson beautifull}^ observes, " God is unsearchable. 
All we see or hear of him is faint and shadowy 
manifestation. Beyond the highest glory, there is 
yet an unpierced and unapproached light, a track 
of intellectual and moral splendor untravelled by 
the thoughts of the contemplating and adoring 
spirits who are nearest to his throne. The mani- 
festation of this nature of God, never fully to be 
revealed, because infinite, is represented as consti- 
tuting the reward and felicity of heaven. This is 
' to see God.' This is ' to be forever with the Lord.' 
This is to behold his glory as in a glass, with un- 
veiled face, and to be changed into his image, from 
glory to glory, in boundless progression and infinite 
approximation. Yet, after all, it will be as true, 
after countless ages spent in heaven itself, as in the 
present state, that none by * searching can find out 
16 



182 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

God,' that is, 'to perfection.' He will then be 'a 
God that hideth himself/ and widely as the illumina- 
tion may extend, ' clouds and darkness will still be 
round about him.' " 

But as we are speaking more especially of the 
necessity of Christian progression^ progression in 
the present life, and of the frequency with which 
this idea is enforced in the Scriptures we will quote 
a few more texts. Psalm cii. 12, 13. " The 
righteous shall flourish like the palm-tree : he shall 
grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be 
planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in 
the courts of our God. They shall bring forth 
fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing." 
It will be seen that the growth here spoken of is 
not stopped, nor even checked by old age, no, 
being ''planted in the house of the Lord," they 
still grow, flourish^ and b7Hng forth fruit. The 
same truth is beautifully expressed by Hosea, chap, 
viii. : " I will be as the dew unto Israel ; he shall 
grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Leba- 
non. His branches shall spread, and his beauty 
shall be as the olive-tree, and his smell as Leba- 
non." Our blessed Lord uses the same illustration 
for the same purpose, Mark iv. 26, 32. It is only 
necessary to remind the reader of the frequency 
with which the Apostles exhort Christians to grow, 
and give instruction as to how this growth is pro- 
moted. Take the following as instances. Eph. 
iv: ''But speaking the truth in love, may grow 
up into him in all things, which is the head, even 
Christ." IPet. ii. 2: '* As newborn babes, desire 



CHRISTIAN PROaRESSTON. 183 

the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow 
thereby. 2 Pet. iii. 18 : " But grow in grace and 
in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
Christ." Once more. Heb. x. 38,39: V' Now the 
just shall live by faith: but if he drawback, my 
soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not 
of them who draw back unto perdition; but of 
them that believe to the saving of the soul.'^ Now, 
it is, we think, perfectly clear that in this passage 
the Apostle recognizes no medium between going 
forward and drawing hack. And it is equally 
evident that while life and salvation are the result 
of going forward, perdition is the result of going 
hack 1 Nor is it less evident that the Apostles 
connect with faith ; life^ growth, and eternal salva- 
tion ; and consequently, all power. The soul by 
faith takes hold of the truth of God, all the truth ; 
the doctrines, the promises, and the precepts ; and 
with the truth of God, takes hold of God himself, 
of God in Christ ; and thus makes God's power 
her own. Hence the Apostle says, *^ The life that 
I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the 
Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for 
me.'' This faith so connects the soul with God 
in Christ, that the Apostle says, '' I live ; yet not I, 
but Christ liveth in me." O glorious union! I 
had almost said oneness with Christ, and, conse- 
quently, with God. I almost tremble to say it, 
and yet, what other words will express the sublime 
and glorious truth ? *' 1 am crucified with Christ : 
nevertheless I live ; yet not I, but Christ liveth in 
mel" Paul lived in Christ, and Christ lived in 



184 POWER WITH aOD AND WITH MEN. 

Paul! He is so lost in God, that when he says, 
^^ I live,'' he immediately corrects himself, and 
sa3''s, ^*yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.'' In an 
unexplainable, yet glorious sense, the light, the 
life, the wisdom, the power of Christ, are all his 
own. Or, as he himself expresses it, as far as 
human language can express it ; — '' But of him 
are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto 
us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, 
and redemption : that, according as it is written, 
he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." And 
all this by faith! N'o wonder, then, that " all things 
are possible to them that believe." Truly "this 
is the victory that overcometh the world, even our 
faith." No wonder that Whitefield, Weslej^-, and 
other hol}^ men, were a power, as well as the 
Apostles. They were united to God by faith ; 
they lived in Christ by faith, and Christ lived in 
them. He was their loisdom, their righteousness ^ 
their sanctification. Dwelling in love, they dwelt 
in God and God in them. Hence God was their 
strength, as well as their refuge. Hence, too, they 
had power with God and with man, and prevailed. 
And all this by faith in Christ. And as their faith 
increased, which it did, they increased in wisdom 
and strength ; they increased in all goodness ; they 
grew " up into Christ their living head in all 
things." By faith they were justified, by faith they 
were sanctified, by faith they lived, by faith they 
conquered, by faith they *' turned the world upside 
down." They understood this glorious doctrine; 
them with it was not matter of opinion, they knew 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 185 

it by happy experience Hence Charles Wesley 



'' By faith we know thee strong to save : 
(Save us, a present Saviour thou ;) 
Whate'er we hope, by faith we have ; 
Future, and past, subsisting now. 

" To him that in thy name believes, 
Eternal life with thee is given ; 
Into himself he all receives, — 

Pardon, and holiness, and heaven." 

Again : — 

" Save us by grace, through faith alone, — 
A faith thou must thyself impart : 
A faith that would by works be shown, 
A faith that purifies the heart. 

" A faith that doth the niountains move, 
A faith that shows our sins forgiven, 
A faith that sweetly works by love, 
And ascertains our claim to heaven." 

Again : — 

'' Thy mighty name salvation is, 

And keeps my happy soul above: 
Comfort it brings, and power, and peace. 

And joy, and everlasting love : 
To me, with thy great name are given 
Pardon, and holiness, and heaven. 

" Jesus, my all in all thou art ; 

My rest in toil, my ease in pain ; 
The medicine of my broken heart ; 

In war, my peace, in loss, my gain ; 
My smile beneath the tyrant's frown ; 
In shame, my glory and my crown : 
16* 



186 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

*' In want, my plentiful supply ; 

In weakness, my almighty power; 
In bonds, my perfect liberty ; 

My light in Satan's darkest hour ; 
In grief, my joy unspeakable; 
My life in death, my all in all.'' 

Once more, listen to this sweet singer : — 

" Up into thee, our living head, 

Let us in all things grow. 
Till thou hast made us free indeed, 

And spotless here below. 
Then, when the mighty work is wrought, 

Receive thy ready bride : 
Give us in heaven a happy lot 

With all the sanctified." 

Just so it was that John Wesley sang; take a 
single instance, the first that comes to hand : — 

" Arm me with thy whole armor, Lord : 

Support my weakness with thy might. 
Gird on my thigh thy conquering sword, 

And shield me in the threatening fight: 
From faith to faith, from grace to grace. 

So in thy strength shall I go on ; 
Till heaven and earth flee from thy face, 

And glory end what grace begun." 

Watts, too, is in raptures, while he attempts to 
express, in his heavenly numbers, the same glorious 
truths. Take a single verse from that beautiful and 
well-known hymn on p. 534 of our hymn book : — 

" The men of grace have found 
Glory begun below : 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 187 

Celestial fruit on earthly ground 

From faith and hope may grow : 
Then let our songs abound, 

And every tear be dry : 

We're marching through Immanuel's ground, 
To fairer worlds on high." 

Newton, too, is in raptures when be attempts to 
express the same glorious sentiments in his exquisite 
numbers : — 

" How sweet the name of Jesus sounds 
In a believer's ear ; 
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, 
And drives away his fear. 



" Dear Name, the rock on which I build, 
My shield and hiding-place ; 
My never-failing treasure fill'd 
With boundless stores of grace." 

Again : — 

" His name yields the richest perfume. 

And sweeter than music his voice ; 
His presence disperses my gloom. 

And makes all within me rejoice ; 
I should, were he always thus nigh. 

Have nothing to wish or to fear ; 
No mortal so happy as I, — 

My summer would last all the year. 

" Content with beholding his face. 
My all to his pleasure resign' d ; 

No changes of season or place 

Would make any change in my mind : 

While blest with a sense of his love, 
A palace a toy would appear j 



188 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

And prisons would palaces prove, 
If Jesus would dwell with me there." 

With similar sweetness and force the great and 
good Dr. Doddridge sings the same glorious truth, 
the same happy experience. Addressing his soul 
while urging onward in the Christian course, he 
Bays : — 

" 'Tis God's all animating voice 
That calls thee from on high ; 
'Tis he whose hand presents the prize 
To thine aspiring eye. 

*' A cloud of witnesses around, 
Hold thee in full survey ; 
Forget the steps already trod. 
And onward urge thy way. 

" Blest Saviour ! introduced by thee, 
Our race have we begun ; 
And crown' d with vict'ry at thy feet, 
Well lay our trophies down." 

Again : — 

" 'Tis to my Saviour I would live, — 
To him who for my ransom died ; 
Nor could all worldly honor give 
Such bliss as crowns me at his side. 

" His work my hoary age shall bless, 
When youthful vigour is no more ; 
And my last hour of life confess 

His saving love, his glorious power.'' 

Lest any one should attempt to dispose of the 
fine sentiments, the glorious truth, embodied in the 
above and similar verses, as mere flights of poetry, 
we beg to remind the reader of the experience of 



CHKISTIAN PROGRESSION. 189 

the Weslej^s, Whitefield, Luther, and others already 
given. And as to John Newton, his remarkable 
conA^ersion, and the holy, happy, and useful life 
which he afterward led, are well known. In short, 
what the}' have expressed in these heavenly songs, 
ma}^ be found in their sermons, and their other 
prose writings. And the whole comes to us sup- 
ported and confirmed by their unmistakable con- 
sciousness, holy lives, and remarkable usefulness. 
Moreover, the same truths come to us with the seal 
of the Eternal Spirit, and may be found in God's 
own Book, confirmed to us by miracles and prophe- 
cies of which God alone can be the Author. It is 
only necessary to add, that the vigorous growing 
faith here exhibited, must result in progression, 
and the failure, or decline of faith, must as neces- 
sarily result in retrogression. If faith is the con- 
dition of life and power, it must be the condition of 
their continuance and increase. While a vigorous 
growing faith continues, there must be progression; 
for God has promised to such every possible good. 
Nor can the opposition of men and devils prevent 
the fulfilment of such promises, while the vigorous 
growing faith continues: on the contrary, *'A11 
things work together for good to them that love 
God ; to them who are the called according to his 
purpose," which would not be true if any thing 
outside of them could prevent the progress of 
which we speak, and for which we contend. More- 
over, the soul that is in possession of such faith, 
vigorous growing faith in Christ, must be active, 
and such action implies progress, as we have 



190 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

already shown. And where there is not progres- 
sion, there is and must be retrogression, as we have 
also shown. Having spoken, more especially, of the 
necessity of Christian progression ; we will now, 
more particularly, speak of 

The Nature of Christian progression. — Perhaps 
the word nature but imperfectly expresses the dis- 
tinction we desire to make ; we use it as the best we 
can think of. The nature^ and the necessity, of 
Christian progression are so closely connected, that 
neither can be discussed wholly independent of the 
other. Yet for the sake of clearness we have dwelt 
more especially upon the one, and will now dwell 
more especially upon the other, viz., the nature of 
Christian progress; in other words, the way and 
order, in which the progress, or advance, is made. 

The grand outlines of this subject may be found 
in the first chapter of the Second Epistle of Peter, 
from verse five to verse eleven. To our mind this 
is the finest exhibit of this subject that we have met 
with even in the word of God. The Apostle ad- 
dresses himself '' to them that have obtained like pre- 
cious faith with us through the righteousness of our 
God and Saviour Jesus Christ." The entire intro- 
duction is sublimely beautiful, and inexpressibly 
rich. He desires that *' grace and peace may be 
multiplied unto them through the knowledge of 
God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as his divine 
power hath given unto us all things that pertain 
unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of 
him that hath called us to glory and virtue, where- 
by are given unto us exceeding great and precious 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 191 

promises ; that by these ye might be partakers of 
the divine nature, having escaped the corruption 
that is in the world through lust I'' 

To escape, to be saved from this corruption, and 
to be made 2^^'^^^^^'^^ ^f ^^^ divine nature^ are the 
grand objects to be accomplished ; nothing short of 
this is Gospel Salvation, even in this life. 

*' And besides this,'' sa3^s the Apostle, ''giving all 
diligence, add to your faith virtue." It will be ob- 
served that the Apostle commences the progress 
with faith; because the things which he exhorts 
Christians to add, never go before, but always 
accompany or follow this faith ; I say this faith; for 
the faith of which he speaks is evidently that upon 
the exercise of which God justifies the ungodly ; the 
same faith that the Apostles had : hence he says, — 
'' To them that have obtained like precious faith with 
us.'' The same faith of which Paul speaks when he 
says, ''Being justified by faith, we have peace with 
God through our Lord Jesus Christ : by whom also 
we have access by faith into this grace wherein we 
stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." 
This is the faith to which the particulars here speci- 
fied are to be added. You can no more add these 
particulars before you have this faith, than you can 
build the architectural structure before you lay the 
foundation. It is as true in the former, as it is in 
the latter case, that there is nothing upon which to 
build ; nothing to which the additions can be made. 
Moreover, the Christian graces which the Apostle 
here specifies, cannot possibly have an existence 
before the sinner is justified. To deny this state- 



192 rOWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

ment is to say, that the sinner can be a Christian 
before he is justified, and, consequently, before he 
is born again ; and, also, without the agency and 
work of the Holy Spirit ; which amounts to a denial 
of the whole Christian system. This is a point of 
great importance; for, to establish it, is to sweep 
away at a single stroke the whole system of j^hari- 
saism, the grand error of which consists in the 
assumption that the sinner may transform himself 
into a Christian before he is justified or regenerated ; 
and, consequently, independent of the Holy Spirit, 
or the atonement I Let it be distinctly noticed, 
then, that the Apostle proceeds in the exact order 
in which the additions are made. 

We are not to suppose, however, that any one 
may have this '^precious faith,'' and yet be wholly 
destitute of the graces here specified. Iso^ all who 
have this faith are justified, born again, adopted, 
sanctified, and, consequently, have all these graces, 
in a greater or less degree I But in the economy 
of grace each is to be increased in the way and order 
here specified ; this is the work of the Christian life. 
In support of this view we refer to the criticisms of 
Doddridge, Wesley, Dr. Adam Clarke, and others, 
on the word add, here. In his paraphrase Doddridge 
says, ^^ Be careful to accompany that belief with all 
the lovely train of attendant graces: associate, as it 
were, to jour faith, virtue, true fortitude, and reso- 
lution of mind, which may enable you to break 
through that variety of dangers with which your 
faith may be attended." And in his accompanying 
note he adds, '^ The word srcixopr^yyjna'ts properly 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 193 

signifies to lead ug, as in a dance, one of these vir- 
tues after another in a beautiful and majestic order." 
In support of this view, he quotes several critics of 
higji authority. It is assumed by the Apostle, that, 
having the ''precious faith," he has these virtues in 
a greater or less degree, and, instead of shrinking 
from apparent danger, he is to lead u^d one of these 
virtues after another in a beautiful and majestic 
order, as a general would lead up one battalion after 
another into line of battle, as far, and as fast, as the 
opposing powers rendered this necessarj^ This is 
a beautiful and sublime idea. The Christian soldier 
is here represented as being supplied, from head- 
quarters^ with forces sufficient for any emergency^ 
and as a moral agent he is to call them into action 
as the exigency may require ; hence, if he does not 
conquer, the fault is his own, for the King in whose 
cause he fights keeps him well supplied with forces 
sufficient for any occasion, and he here gives him 
directions how to use these forces ; and these direc- 
tions being complied with, *' One shall chase a 
thousand, and two shall put ten thousand to flight," 
shall '' turn to flight the armies of the aliens ;" in 
short, '' No weapon formed against" such ^* shall 
prosper." In this way, while the moral agency of 
the Christian is preserved, and his heroism de- 
veloped, the sufficiency is seen to be of God through 
the atonement. Hence it is, that certain men have 
been an all-conquering power, as we have seen in 
the case of Whitefield, Wesley, Luther, and others ; 
while other pusillanimous creatures hid themselves, 
leaving the armies of the aliens to march forward 
17 



194 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

and do their work of slaughter unresisted ! The 
fact is, any man may be a coward or a hero, just as 
he pleases; and all men acknowledge this, in that 
they blame the coward for his cowardice, and praise 
the hero for his heroism : and God, the Almighty 
and infallible Judge, does the same ! This same 
Peter acted the coward at one time, and the hero 
at another, and he is praised and blamed accord- 
ingly, and that by all worlds ; hence, his exhortation 
is supported by his experience as well as by his 
inspiration. Thus much with regard to the entire 
passage, and with regard to the word add, lead up, 
or associate, in particular. We need not quote the 
other learned critics referred to, as their criticisms 
on this word are substantially the same as that of 
Doddridge, and are, doubtless, correct ; only T do 
not like the reference to a dance for illustration ; 
hence I have referred to the more noble action of a 
general in the field of battle : and in this particular 
I am supported by other Scriptures, which repre- 
sent Christians as a noble army of soldiers, valiantly 
contending with opposing forces : but they never, 
I think, attempt to illustrate this noble action by 
the silly and ridiculous manoeuvering in a dance. 



CHAPTER VI. 

Nature of Christian progression — Meaning of the word aperrip, 
courage. The command and promise of God are essential 
to Christian courage, and this courage is essential to Chris- 
tian progression — Interesting examples are given, as Daniel 
and his three companions ; and David slaying Goliath ; 
Luther, also, and many other men of courage are noticed— 
This courage can only exist in connection with Christian 
faith — It does not precede, but results from faith — Faith 
and courage are specially necessary for the work of the 
minister of Jesus. 

Let us now proceed to notice severally the noble 
forces specified by the Apostles, and the order in 
which we are exhorted to associate them with our 
faith, and lead them to the glorious contest. 

^' Add to your faith virtue." I have often been 
puzzled with the word virtue here, as I have no 
doubt others have been, and still are ; for the word 
virtue may mean any one of a thousand good 
qualities. The fact is, in its generic form, the word 
apstr^Vj here translated virtue^ has this general 
meaning ; but in its specific form, as here, it means 
courage, or fortitude, as the critics above specified 
contend, and translate accordingl}^ Hence, courage 
is that which we are here exhorted to add to, or 
associate with^ our faith. This is the noble force 

195 



196 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

which the Christian believer is exhorted to lead at 
once into action, and thus set at defiance, resist, 
and conquer the opposing power, or powers. Thus 
it was that God exhorted Joshua when he appoint- 
ed him to the place of Moses, as the great leader 
of the armies of Israel. This fine exhortation 
may be found in the first chapter of Joshua, from 
verse two to verse nine, and ends with the follow- 
ing remarkable words, — '* Have not I commanded 
thee ? Be strong and of a good courage ; be not 
afraid, neither be thou dismayed : for the Lord thy 
God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.'^ Three 
times in this short, but very comprehensive, and 
very forcible exhortation, Joshua is exhorted to be 
courageous ; — verse 6. ''Be strong and of a good 
courage:'' verse t. '' Only be thou strong and very 
courao;eous :" and a^iain in verse 9. '' Have not I 
commanded thee ? Be strong and of a good 
courage." Mark the repetition, the variation, and 
the connection, of the words strength, courage^ 
fear, dismay. Be strong : be of a good courage : 
be thou very courageous : be not afraid : be not dis- 
mayed. Have courage in such measure as to 
exclude all fear but the fear of God. God exhorts 
to this end, and he positively commands ; — '' Have 
not I commanded thee ? Be strong and of a good 
courage." Observe, too, the important fact, for it is 
a fact, and one that deserves the deepest atten- 
tion ; viz., that without this courage he could not 
obey the divine commands — '' Only be thou strong 
and very courageous, that thou mayest observe 
to do according to all the law which Moses my 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. ' 197 

servant commanded thee : turn not from it to the 
right hand or to the left that thou mayest prosper 
whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law 
shall not depart out of thy mouth ; but thou shalt 
meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest 
observe to do according to all that is written there- 
in : for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, 
and then thou shalt have good success.'' Observe 
too, that all the motives to courageous action, are 
found in the commands and promises of God ; — 
''Have not I commanded thee?" — ''There shall 
not any man be able to stand before thee all the 
days of thy life : as I was with Moses, so will I 
be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.'' 
Again. " The Lord thy God is with thee whither- 
soever thou goest." Thus clearly are we taught 
that God's command and promise are the motives 
to courageous action, the sole rule of faith and 
conduct, the basis of faith and confidence, the 
spring of all right action, and the only ground 
upon which we can rationally hope for success. 
It is worthy of remark that the commission which 
Jehovah here gives to Joshua, is substantially 
the same as that which Jesus gave to his disci- 
ples, — " Teaching them to observe all things what- 
soever I have commanded you : and lo, I am with 
you alway, even unto the end of the world." 
Those who have read the New Testament will re- 
member how often Jesus exhorts his disciples 
not to be afraid, and, consequently, to be coura- 
geous ; and he holds out precisely the same 
motives: — "Fear not, ye are of more value than 



198 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

many sparrows :" — "Lo I am with you alway :" — • 
'*rear not them that kill the body:'' — '' The very 
hairs of your head are all numbered.'' The sum of 
all is contained in the good old promise, Deut. 
xxviii. 8. ''And the Lord, he it is that doth go 
before thee ; he will be with thee, he will not fail 
thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be 
dismayed." In Heb. xiii. 5, 6, we have the same 
summing up, and the same application, — '' Let 
your conversation be without covetousness ; and 
be content with such things as ye have: for he 
hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake 
thee. So that we may boldly say: ''The Lord 
is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall 
do unto me." It is quite evident, that the com 
mands and promises of Jehovah in the Old Testa- 
ment, and those of Jesus in the ISTew, are essen- 
tially one, and prove conclusively that the Jesus 
of the New Testament, is the Jehovah of the Old. 
Though this is a point of the most vital inport- 
ance, we only notice it in passing, it being sug- 
gested by the Scriptures which our argument led 
us to quote ; for it is evident that no creature 
can command and promise as above without blas- 
phemously assuming what belongs to God only. 

The command and promise of God are essential 
to Christian courage, and Christian courage is 
essential to Christian progression. Without this 
courage no man can do the work, fight the battles, 
or even profess the faith of the Christian ; for the 
duties of the Christian life are^ such, that courage is 
in requisition much more frequently than some 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 199 

ma}'' be inclined to believe. This arises, in a great 
measure, from that opposition which the world and 
the devil present to every thing that is vital in 
religion. Hence it requires courage even for the 
3^oung convert to obej^ that command, ''Go home 
to thy friends, and tell them how great things the 
Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion 
on thee ;" and even the old professor, under some 
circumstances, feels the need of courage to perform 
this important and very plain duty. But why is 
this? If one should become heir to a great 
property, a fine estate, with certain honorable 
titles attached to it, courage does not seem to be 
necessary to make these facts known : but when tlie 
sinner is converted, b'orn again, he becomes heir to 
a glorious inheritance, to which the most honorable 
titles are attached, and yet he shrinks from the 
duty of making the facts known. Yea, and unless 
he adds to his faith courage, he will not do so, 
especially under some circumstances, and just here 
it is, in all probability, where the announcement is 
most needed, where it will do most good ; yet he 
wdll surely fail to tell what God has done for him, 
unless he adds courage to his faith. Again, it 
will frequently require courage to obey that plain 
command, '' Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy 
neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him ;'' or as it is 
in the margin, ''that thou bear not sin for him." 
The same duty is enjoined by our blessed Lord, 
" Go and tell him his fault between thyself and 
him alone," but plain as is this duty you will not 
perform it in one instance out of ten when it is 



200 PO^YER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

your duty so to do, unless you add courage to your 
faith ; you know it is God that commands you to 
do so, yet you will certainly disobey the command 
unless you add to your faith virtue. 

The above are only a few of the instances which 
are of frequent occurrence ; but there are other 
instances which, though they do not occur so often, 
require much more courage when they do occur ; 
instances wherein fidelity to God will, apparently, 
at least, involve great risk. Take the case of the 
three Hebrew children : a snare is laid for them, and 
is laid with deep infernal cunning. An image is 
set up on the plain of Dura ; it is made of gold, and 
is some ninety feet high. ^' The princes, the gover- 
nors, and the captains, the treasurers, the counsel- 
lors, the sheriflTs, and the rulers of the provinces, 
were gathered together unto the dedication of the 
image which Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And 
they stood before the image which Nebuchadnezzar 
the king had set up. Then a herald cried aloud. 
To you it is commanded, people, nations, and 
languages, that at what time 3^e hear the sound of 
the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, 
and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship 
the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king 
hath set up, and whoso falleth not down and wor- 
shippeth, shall the same hour be cast into the midst 
of the burning fiery furnace." The call has been 
given, and promptly has it been obeyed by the 
various nations and languages to whom it came. 
See! the vast plain of Dura, in the province of 
Babylon, is literally crowded from its centre to its 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 201 

circumference; and first and foremost in this crowd 
of idolators are seen multitudes of office-seekers, 
especially those who expect to fill the vacant 
offices of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, when 
they shall have been consumed. The signal is 
given, and lo ! the vast multitude lie prostrate 
before the image, three only excepted. Noble men ! 
see how erect they stand amid the prostrate nations, 
even in sight of the furnace that burns with seven- 
fold intensity, flashing and flaming with infernal 
fury. But neither the fury of the king, nor that of 
the fiery furnace, can induce these men to bow in 
worship to any save the God of their fathers. 
Even now life and honors are ofleredto them if they 
will only worship like others ; if they will fall down 
with the princes, and other office-seekers, with 
them, they are told, they shall share both offices 
and honors ; but it is to no purpose that the king 
*' in his rage and fury,'' threatens death, and offers 
his gifts : these heroes promptly reply, '' 0, Nebu- 
chadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in 
this matter.'' Mark, their mind was fully made up ; 
hence they did not ask time to think ; this was 
entirely unnecessary ; their judgment was already 
convinced, and their purpose firmly fixed as to the 
course they should pursue. Even to hesitate is a 
crime, where duty is clear ; and those who do so, 
will surely yield to the temptation ; and it were 
better to do so at once than to increase their guilt 
by equivocation and deception. But these honest 
courageous men at once gave the king to understand 
that it was simply impossible for him to fright 



202 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

them into submission, and that he would surely be 
disappointed if he should indulge any hope of 
succeeding by such measures. Hence they added, 
''If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to 
deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he 
will deliver us out of thy hand, king, but if not, 
be it known unto thee, king, that we will not 
serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image 
which thou hast set up." Whether we are, or 
are not, delivered, we will not worship thee or 
thine image I This was plain, honest, straightfor- 
ward. It was just as it should be. IS'ever before 
had the king of Babylon met with such men, never 
before had he heard such language : such language 
is used by none but the saints of the Most High. 
Such language is not, and never was, in the vo- 
cabulary of this world. As to office-seekers, it is 
foolishness unto them, neither can they understand 
it, for it is spiritually discerned, and spiritual 
discernment is a faculty that does not belong to 
courtiers and office-seekers ; they have no use for 
it ; the things they seek are discovered by a very 
different faculty. And as to the proud king of 
Babylon, this language was to him as inexplicable 
as it was offensive. The mysterious writing upon 
the palace, at an after period, was not more inex- 
plicable to Belshazzar, than was this language to 
Nebuchadnezzar. The effect, however, was some- 
what different, and is worthy of notice. '' Then 
was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of 
his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, 
and Abed-nego ; therefore he spake, and commanded 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 203 

that they should heat the furnace one seven times 
more than it was wont to be heated. And he 
commanded the most mighty men that were in his 
army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego 
and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. ' 
And they were cast in as he commanded. But 
their God was able to deliver them, and he did 
deliver them, he did save them, not from the 
flames, but in the flames. Thus he fulfilled his own 
promise, they passed through the fire, but it did 
not consume them. No, they still maintain, in the 
midst of the burning fiery furnace, the same erect 
position that they maintained in the midst of the 
idolatrous worshippers who lay prostrate before 
the image. Then the king drew near and said, 
*' Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of 
the fire, and they have no hurt : and the form of 
the fourth is like the Son of God." We may well 
say, " Who ever trusted in the Lord and was con- 
founded :" '' Blessed are all they that put their 
trust in him." Xoble men ! when I see them stand- 
ing erect in the midst of the prostrate multitudes, 
defiant of all threats and all dangers, I almost feel 
like falling at their feet. But methinks I hear 
them say, '' See thou do it not : for we are thy 
fellow servants, and of thy brethren the prophets, 
and of them which keep the sayings of this book : 
worship God." 

These men by their courageous conduct did more 
for the cause of God, than was ever done by all the 
time serving pusillanimous creatures, since or 
before. By this heroic act they struck down the 



204 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

idols of Chaldea, so that they fell like Dagon 
before the ark of the Lord. As for the mean cour- 
tiers and office-seekers, they were covered with 
shame, while Nebuchadnezzar, and, it is hoped, 
many others, worshipped the true God ; nor was 
there a single individual, for the present at least, 
who would dare to worship the image that the king 
had set up ; for the threatening that had a little 
while previous to this act been hurled at the wor- 
shippers of the true God, are now hurled at all who 
would dare to worship any other. And three men 
achieved this mighty victory, and produced this 
glorious revolution, by simply adding to their faith 
courage. 

Now, we ask, wherein did these men distinguish 
themselves from other men ? was it in believing 
that the image of gold was not the true God ? was 
not entitled to the worship of the nations ? Cer- 
tainly not. There were thousands there that day, 
who believed this as firmly as they did. Nor did 
they experience an}^ difficulty in believing that the 
God of their fathers alone was entitled to worship. 
This was neither the point of distinction, nor the point 
of difficulty. What, then, was the difficult act by 
which they distinguished themselves, and by which 
they achieved the mighty victory ? It was simply 
this they added to their faith courage. And: I aver, 
that this is the grand, the difficult act, by which the 
great and good have always been distinguished 
from other men, that by which the}?- have surmount- 
ed the greatest difficulties, and produced the most 
glorious results. It was thus that Daniel tri- 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 205 

umphed in that same old cit^^ of Babylon. Daniel 
was a praying man, and the devil undertook to put 
a stop to his praying ; and again he summoned to 
his help his old friends, the office-seekers ; and 
they agreed upon the following plan : '' Then these 
presidents and princes assembled together to the 
king, and said thus unto him : King Darius, live 
forever. All the presidents of the kingdom, the 
governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the 
captains, have consulted together to establish a 
royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that 
whosoever shall ask any petition of any God or 
man for thirty da3^s, save of thee, king, he shall 
be cast into the den of lions. Now, king, esta- 
blish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be 
not changed, according to the law of the Medes 
and Persians, which altereth not. Wherefore King 
Darius signed the writing and the decree.'' This 
whole procedure was very cool, and it was as 
cunning as it was cool. Thej undertook to over- 
come the king by flattery, and Daniel by murder- 
ous persecution. With regard to the former they 
w^ere successful, but with regard to the latter they 
failed, as signally as their brethren had failed in 
the case of the three Hebrew heroes, some forty- 
three years previous to this time. These men seem 
to have forgotten this humiliating defeat ; or, these 
three champions having, in all probability, gone to 
their reward, it was probably supposed that courage 
had passed away with them ; but God has always 
his man for the emergency, and having given Shad- 
rach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, an opportunity to 

18 



206 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

develop their courage, he now gives Daniel a simi- 
lar opportunity. It is in this way that he makes 
the wrath of man to praise him while he restrains 
the remainder ; in this way that he develops the 
manhood and moral power of his servants, and 
makes the abundant grace through the thanksgiv- 
ing of many redound to the glory of God, and, at 
the same time, '' all things work together for good 
to them that love God, to them that are the called 
according to his purpose." And such, unquestiona- 
bly, have been the results in all the instances here 
noticed. If Daniel and his three friends had not 
been tested as they were, these glorious develop- 
ments of moral courage had never been known, and 
these noble men had lived and died in comparative 
obscurity. And who can estimate the loss that the 
church and the world would have sustained in con- 
sequence. Who can fully estimate the effects, the 
glorious effects, which have been produced by the 
thrilling stories of the furnace and the den upon 
those who have heard those stories from that time 
to the present ; and who can estimate the effects 
that will yet be produced by these wonderful stories. 

But let us follow Daniel through his terrible con- 
flict, and see how he triumphs over his enemies and 
turns to flight the armies of the aliens. 

*'Now when Daniel knew that the writing was 
signed, he went into his house ; and his windows 
being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he 
kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and 
prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did 
aforetime." 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 20t 

Those vile courtiers and office-seekers well knew 
what DaniePs custom and practice were ; they have 
watched him narrowly, and were convinced that the 
duties of his high and important office were dis- 
charged with ability and scrupulous fidelit}^, and 
that his life was irreproachable : — '^ Then said these 
men, we shall not find any occasion against this 
Daniel, except we find it against him concerning 
the law of his God.^' The snare was laid with deep, 
infernal cunning ; they knew that he was as faithful 
to his God as he was to his king. Hence he will 
likely pray in spite of all consequences, and if he 
does, the lions shall have him, and if he does not, 
said the devil, I will have him : so that whatever 
course he takes, said his enemies, we are sure of 
him I but they were mistaken, and gloriously dis- 
appointed. 

The hour for pra^^er is at hand ; and the devil 
and his servants are anxiously watching to see what 
Daniel will do. He seems to be alone, for he is not 
said to have consulted his three faithful friends as 
formerlj^, they, as we have supposed, having gone, 
'' where the wicked cease from troubling, and where 
the weary are at rest ;" hence, Daniel is alone in 
Babylon, '' and of the people," it would seem, '^ there 
were none with him," but his God is with him, and 
he is with God. 

The hour for pra3^er has arrived : and Daniel is 
seen, ''as aforetime," bending his steps toward the 
hallowed place of prayer. See ! There he goes, 
wending his way from his office to his chamber, 
through the streets of Babylon, idolatrous Babylon I 



208 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

Calm and thoughtful is his bearing as he approaches 
nearer and nearer to the mercj^-seat. He seems to 
have forgotten all but his God, whom he '' serves 
without fear, '^ /or he has added to his faith courage. 
His enemies are agitated, as they behold him from 
their hiding places. Devils are agitated, for they 
too behold him, as with firm step and thoughtful 
mien he wends his way to the place of prayer. All 
worlds view him with intense interest as he journeys 
on ; and methinks I hear him sing — 

''While thou, Almighty Lord, art nigli, 

Mj soul disdains to fear ; 
Both sin and Satan I defy, 

Still impotently near; 
Both earth and hell their wars may wage, — 

I mark their vain design : 
And calmly smile to see them rage 

Against a child of thine." 

Noble man ! truly thou hast added to thy faith 
courage; and noble were the acts that resulted 
from thy faith and courage. Here we may well take 
up the language of James and say, — '' Seest thou 
how faith wrought with .his works, and by works 
was his faith made perfect.'' 

But he has reached the place of prayer, he is in 
his chamber, and has ^'kneeled upon his knees.'' 
" And his windows being open toward Jerusalem," 
he will not close them : defiant of his enemies, he 
*' prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did 
aforetime," and this he did ''three times a day." 
*' Then these men assembled, and found Daniel 
praying and making supplication before his God. 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 209 

Closely did they watch, and carefully did they 
record the facts: but he regarded them not. Me- 
thinks I hear him sing as he repeats his visits to 
that sacred chamber, that hallowed spot, " where 
prayer was wont to be made ;" — 

" Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer, 
That calls me from a world of care ; 
And bids me at my Father's throne. 
Make all my wants and wishes known ; 
In seasons of distress and grief, 
My soul has often found relief; 
And oft escap'd the tempter's snare. 
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer." 

And, let it be distinctly noticed, this was really 
the only w^ay of escape that was left for him at 
this time, ^f he prayed not, he is conquered, he is 
undone ; but praying he is victorious, he triumphs 
over all his enemies. But mark ! to pray at this 
time required courage; courage was absolutely 
necessary : there was nothing, absolutely nothing, 
that would substitute for it. When Daniel praj^ed, 
no man would or could pray without courage, even 
such courage as only springs from faith in God. 
And such was DaniePs courage, for he added it to 
ids faith. This courage never goes before faith : 
when it exists at all, it accompanies or follows faith, 
even the faith by which a sinner is justified before 
God. 

When these men found Daniel praying, and had 
proved the fact against him, they thought they had 
him sure enough ; and insisted that he must be cast 
into the den of lions, and cast in he was. But 

18* 



210 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

'^ man's extremity is God's opportunity.'' This 
proved specially true in the present instance ; for 
lions and political office-seekers are alike under 
God's control. In proof of this we have only to 
glance again at the history before us. '' My God," 
says Daniel, -hath sent his angel, and hath shut 
the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: for 
as much as before him innocency was found in me • 
and also before thee, King, have I done no hurt.'' 
He was upright before God and man. But that 
very thing made him the more hateful to those 
mean hypocritical office-seekers and court flatterers. 
When the king found that Daniel was unhurt,' 
'' Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and 
commanded that they should take Daniel up out 
of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, 
and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because 
he believed in his God. And the king commanded, 
and they brought those men who had accused 
Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, 
them, their children, and their wives ; and the lions 
had the mastery of them, and broke all their bones 
in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the 
den." This is only one out of many warnings to 
-which sinners, especially office-seeking sinners, 
would do well to take heed. There is no help for 
them in the lions' den ; no angel there to shut the 
mouths of the lions when such men are in the den. 
But the holy, the believing, and courageous Daniel, 
was as safe there as he was when prayino- in his 
chamber. In fact, the lions' den became a^'praying 
chamber as soon as Daniel was cast into it 5 and 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 211 

these savage creatures, the lions, were more affected 
1)3' Daniel's prayers than were the still more savage 
creatures, the office-seekers. God sa3^s : " I will that 
men pray everywhere ;" and the possibilit}^ of doing 
so cannot be doubted, when we remember that 
Jonah x)rayed in the whale's belly, and Daniel in 
the lion's den.— 

" From every stormy wind that blows, 
From every swelling tide of woes, 
There is a calm, a sure retreat ; 
'Tis found beneath the mercy-seat." 



" Ah ! whither could we flee for aid, 
When tempted, desolate, dismayed ? 
Or how the hosts of hell defeat, 
Had suffering saints no mercy-seat? 

"Jesus, thou sovereign Lord of all, — 
The same through one eternal day, — 
Attend thy feeblest foll'wer's call. 

And 0, instruct us how to pray I 
Pour out the supplicating grace. 
And stir us up to seek thy face." 

" Come in thy pleading Spirit down 

To us who for thy coming stay ; 

Of all thy gifts we ask but one, — 

We ask the constant power to pray : 
Indulge us. Lord, in this request. 
Thou canst not then deny the rest." 

And help us to add to our faith courage. Make 
us, like thy servants of old, ''very courageous." 

A few additional remarks, and we will take our 
leave of these heroes. First: the noble acts by 



212 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

which they achieved such glorious viciiories were 
voluntary acts, as are all such acts. Before being 
cast into the furnace and the den, they were not 
subjected to violence of any kind, either by God or 
man. God promised and commanded, and gave the 
necessary grace, on the one hand ; while man com- 
manded, promised, and threatened, on the other. 
That was all. But these men disregarded the 
threatenings, and disobeyed the commands of men, 
while they believed the promises and obeyed the 
commands of God. That was all. Second : Shad- 
rach and his noble companions could have bowed 
with the multitude before the image, just as easy as 
turn their hand ; and with equal ease Daniel could 
have suspended his daily devotions ; but if they had, 
they would have lost their power for good ; like 
Sampson, they would have been shorn of their 
strength instantly ; they would have been as power- 
less as other sinners. But, third; they added to 
their faith courage, adequate to the emergency, and 
thus retaining their strength, they vanquished their 
enemies, God was glorified, their strength was re- 
newed, and they went on from conquest to conquest, 
rejoicing in the Lord and joying in the God of their 
salvation. 

Now, I maintain that this is the way, the only 
way, in which moral power is retained and in- 
creased. It is common to talk about great men as 
though they rose by chance, by a happy turn of the 
wheel of fortune. No such thing. I admit that 
some men rise like flood wood, but they fall with 
the receding tide as fast as they rose. Or by 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 213 

cunning and wickedness they rise like Haman, and 
like Haman they fall. They build upon the sand, 
and for awhile they may glitter in the sunbeams, 
but by and by, the rain descends, the floods come, 
and the winds blow, and their building falls, and 
great is the fall thereof; while the}^ themselves, 
are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 
Not so, men who are truly great : they rise in 
spite of winds and tides. They rise from their 
fallen state by faith in Jesus, and by adding 
courage to this faith they continue to rise despite 
the opposing powers of earth and hell. See there, 
that blustering Philistine, Goliath of Gath. He 
has a helmet of brass upon his head ; his coat 
of mail weighs five thousand shekels of brass ; 
he has greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target 
of brass between his shoulders ; the stafl[* of his 
spear is like a weaver's beam, and his spear's head 
weighs, six hundred shekels of iron. Hark how 
he blusters and shouts ! '^ I defy the armies of 
Israel this day, give me a man that we may fight 
together." O! bless me! His appearance and his 
words are alike awful. Hence '^ when Saul and 
all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, thej'' 
were dismaj^ed, and greatly afraid." And who 
would not be afraid ? I will tell you. He who 
has faith in God, and who adds to that- faith 
courage adequate to the occasion. He, and he 
only, will not be afraid. And just such a man 
God has prepared for the emergency. See 1 there 
he comes, a mere stripling, a rudd}^ youth. '' What 
shall be done," inquired the youth, •' to the man 



214 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the 
reproach from Israel? for who is this nncircum- 
cised Philistine, that he should defy the armies 
of the living God.'^ Well said, David. That is 
a new idea ; it is against God that this uncircum- 
cised Philistine hurls his threats. This idea had 
not occurred to the people: hence, *'all the men 
of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, 
and were sore afraid." And, poor frighted crea- 
tures, they do not get the grand idea even now. 
Hence, '* Eliab's anger was kindled against David, 
and he said, Why comest thou down hither ? and 
with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the 
wilderness ? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness 
of thine heart ; for thou art come down that thou 
mightest see the battle." The battle! My dear 
sir, there is no battle ! with what face can you 
talk about a battle when you are all fleeing, being 
terror-stricken b}^ the very sight of the giant of 
Gath ? Fleeing, not fighting, is your present policy. 
Truly it is with a poor grace that such men talk 
about a battle. But it is just such men who do 
talk and bluster, and say all manner of evil against 
men of real worth. Saul, too, tried to dissuade 
the youth from such a bold undertaking. But 
David said to Saul, *^ Let no man's heart fail 
because of him ; thy servant will go and fight 
with the Philistine." When Saul further talked 
about David's youth, and about the marvellous 
prowess of the Philistine, David replied, " Thy ser- 
vant kept his father's sheep, and there came a 
lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 215 

flock: and I went out after him and smote him, and 
delivered it out of his mouth : and when he arose 
against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote 
him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the 
lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philis- 
tine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied 
the armies of the living God. David said, more- 
over, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw 
of the lion, and out the paw of the bear, he will 
deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. 
And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be 
with thee.^^ Now here is genuine courage; no 
fanaticism, no foolish temerity, but true intelligent 
courage. And Saul caught the grand idea, and 
so did others, doubtless, and it put new life in 
them. God having thus prepared his man for 
the emergency, he went forth with his staff, 
his scrip, his sling and his stone, saying as he 
met the boasting Philistine, *^ This day will the Lord 
deliver thee unto mine hands ; and I will smite 
thee, and take thine head from thee ; and will 
give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines 
this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the 
wild beasts of the earth: that all the earth may 
know that there is a God in Israel. And all 
this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth 
not with sword and spear: for the battle is the 
Lord's, and he will give you unto our hands.'' 
The next moment the giant lay dead at David's 
feet. '' So David prevailed over the Philistine with 
a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine 
and slew him ; but there was no sword in the 



216 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

hand of David." But the sword of the giant was 
now David's sword, and with that he cut off the 
giant's head. Thus it is that God transfers the 
power of the wicked into the hands of men who 
have faith and courage^ not into the hands of 
unbelieving cowards. No, '' to him that hath shall 
be given ; and from him that hath not shall be 
taken away even that which he hath.'' 

Here again, the faith and courage of a single man, 
saves a nation from ruin, and with it the church of 
God ; while their enemies, their boasting and almost 
triumphant enemies, are confounded, routed and 
slain. And herein the promise of God is fulfilled, 
*' One of you shall chase a thousand, and two shall 
put ten thousand to flight." Rest assured of it, 
God's promises mean something. In fact they '' are 
all yea and amen in Christ Jesus." 

It is only necessary to remind the reader that 
David achieved his victories in precisely the same 
way that the other heroes, whom we have mentioned, 
achieved their victories. He could have allowed 
the lion and the bear to have carried off the lambs 
and the sheep unheeded. And he could have 
whined and scolded like his brother Eliab, leaving 
the church and nation to fall, while, like others, he 
fled before the conquering armies of the Philistines. 
But he did not. On the contrary, he met and con- 
quered the enemy, and saved both the nation and 
the church. And he did so, because he had faith in 
God, and added to that faith courage. In short, we 
might bring forward, in support of this position, 
every real hero of whom we know any thing, and 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 217 

show that the same faith and courage, were the 
mighty, the all-sufficient forces by which they were 
moved to deeds of daring and conquest. The}' were 
not mere machines, no, they were moral heroes ; 
and they were so, because they had faith in God, 
and added to that faith courage. In the face of his 
enemies, who included almost the entire world, 
Luther published his ninet3^-five theses, and nailed 
them to the very door of the church of Home, wdth 
which he thus joined issue defiant of all consequen- 
ces. At another time, when that same Kome, to all 
human appearance, had shut him in on every side, 
and threatened him with speedj^ destruction, he ex- 
claimed, '' Living I will be her enemy, and djing I 
will be her death." Nor were they vain words. 
Living he was her enemy, her conquering enemy, 
nor did she kill him either, for he died in peace. 
And at this very day that same Rome is reeling to 
her fall under the mighty blows of his faith and 
courage. Zwingle too, actuated by the same faith 
and courage, published his sixtj^-seven theses in 
Switzerland shortly after Luther published his 
ninety-five in German}^ And having challenged 
the champions of Kome to meet him in Zurich, he 
stood up in their midst and said, *'I have preached 
that salvation is found alone in Jesus Christ, and 
on account of this assertion I have been designated, 
throughout all Switzerland, a heretic, a seducer, 

and a rebel." ''Now, therefore, in 

the name of God, I make my appearance here." 
..... " If there is any one present who has any 

thing to say, let him come forward." "I 

19 



218 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

implore all those who have accused me, and I know 
that in this hall there are many such, to come for- 
ward and answer me, for the love of the truth." 
In the presence of this valiant soldier of the cross 
the enemies of the gospel were frighted into pro- 
found silence, no one daring to accept the challenge. . 
In view of this, sa^^s D'Aubigne, ''the counsel de- 
clared that Master TJlrich Zwingle, not having been 
answered by any one person, would continue to 
preach the holy gospel, and that all the other 
priests of the canton should only be allowed to 
teach those things which they are able to establish 
by reference to the Holy Scriptures." On hearing 
this Zwingle exclaimed, '' Praise be to God, who 
desires his holy word to rule and reign both in 
heaven and upon earth." Writhing under these 
killing blows of the courageous reformer, an advo- 
cate of popery, one Faber, was at length moved to 
say, '' The theses of Master TJlrich are contrary to 
the honor of the church and the doctrine of Christ, 
and I will prove it." ''Do so," replied Zwingle. 
But Faber, conscious of his inability to do so, re- 
fused to offer his proof, save in Paris, Cologne, or 
Friburg. To this Zwingle replied, " I desire no 
other judge but the gospel." " The gospel," said 
Faber, "always the gospel. It would be possible 
to live in a holy manner, in peace and charity, even 
' although there were no gospel." In these brief 
utterances of Zwingle on the one side, and those 
of Faber on the other, you have the sum of all reli- 
gious truth, and the sum of all religious error. 
*^ Salvation is found alone in Je^us Christ." " The 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 219 

gospel, the gospel, nothing but the gospel.'^ '* I 
desire no other judge but the gospel." This is 
Zwingle's position. ^' It would be possible to live 
in a holy manner, in peace and charity, even if there 
were no gospel." This is Faber's position. We 
could be holy J peaceful, and loving, without the gos- 
pel, and, consequently, without Jesus Christ. This 
is Romanism, this is Deism, this is infidelit}^ : aye, 
and this same thing, this sum of all religious error, 
is still very prevalent, and very popular : only it is 
now called natural theology, natural religion, natu- 
ral and moral philosophy ; innate ideas, intuitive 
knowledge, necessary intuitions, by which we have, 
or may have, a knowledge of God,, of morals, of duty 
and accountability, and of a future retribution. And 
to convince us of the truth of all this, we are told 
wonderful things about conscience ; and amongst 
other things-, that it is an infallible guide, more re- 
liable than the dictum of any prophet or seer, Nor 
is there any remedy for these errors but that wnich 
was employed by those great reformers, those men 
of faith and courage whom we have noticed. True 
to these great principles this same Ulrich Zwingle 
atoed at nothing less than sweeping out of the 
church everj^ human invention, all but Jesus and 
his gospel. Hence, assisted by faithful colleagues, 
such as Oswald Myconius, and Leo Judas, he, in 
1525, restored to the church the Lord's Supper, 
and caused it to be administered with primitive 
simpricit}^ The supper was thus administered in 
Zurich, for the first time, on Holy Thursday, Pas- 
sion Friday, and Easter Sunday. '' The people 



220 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

knelt down on their knees," ssljs D'Aubigne, " the 
bread was served round in large covers or dishes 
of wood, and every one broke off a morsel of it ; 
afterwards the wine followed in wooden goblets." 
What a glorious scene was witnessed in Zurich on 
these three days. The people crowded to their 
places at the feast, and blessed the founder's name. 
As in Samaria of old, when Philip preached the 
gospel there, so in Zurich, " there was great joy in 
that city." Nor did the good effects end with the 
holy exercises of these daj^s. ^' Peace now dwells 
in our city," said Zwingle, soon after, *' among us 
there are no longer witnessed scenes of dissimula- 
tion, dissension, envy, or quarrelling. Whence can 
have proceeded an agreement so general, if it be 
not from the Lord, and in consequence of the fact 
that the doctrine which we proclaim assures to us 
a state of innocence and peace." 

But this glorious reformation was not brought 
about without faith and courage on the part of these 
noble reformers. Indeed, the Swiss reformers, 
under the noble leadership of Zwingle, went even 
farther than did Luther. They not only swept 
away transubstantioMon, but also consuhHtantiation, 
together with numerous traditions and ceremonies 
of human invention, by which the word of God was 
made of none effect. And in this they w^ere 
followed by John Calvin, and also by the Scotch 
reformers, Knox and Walsh. Hence it is, that the 
Presbyterian Church is freer from human inven- 
tions than the Church of England is, or ever has 
been. And for this they are indebted, under God, 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 221 

to the courage and fidelity of the Swiss reformers, 
and specially to their noble leader Zwingk. Had it 
not been for his intelligent courage and fidelity, the 
Presbyterian Church might have been as zealous in 
the advocacy of ritualism and other human inven- 
tions to-day, as is the Church of England. how 
much good may be done by the faith, courage, and 
fidelitj' of a single man ! 

In conclusion, then, let it be remembered that 
this Christian courage can onl}^ exist in connection 
with Christian faith, the faith that justifies the peni- 
tent sinner, for it is to this faith that this courage is 
added. Without this faith there cannot be this cour- 
age, and w^ithout this courage there can be no pro- 
gression, and where there is no progression, there 
must be retrogression , there being no medium. In 
support of this position, I again appeal to the facts 
of history and experience, and to the plain word 
of God. You cannot point to a single instance of 
reformation and progression that was not in connec- 
tion with the faith, aye, and in proportion to, the 
faith and courage of the reformers. O for more 
such reformers ! Let no one suppose that they are 
no longer needed — such a supposition is a grand 
mistake — they are always needed. And to-day the 
Luthers, the Zwingles, the Latimers, the Ridlej^s, 
the Knoxes, the Walshes, the Whitefields, and the 
Wesleys, are needed, probably as much as they 
were in the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. 
But alas ! the pusillanimous souls of the present day 
are in the habit of apologizing for their time-serv- 
ing cowardice by assuming that they are more re- 
19* 



222 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

fined than the rough reformers of those days. As 
illustrative of this I give the following. Convers- 
ing with a certain gentleman in the city of , on 

this very subject, only a few days ago, he told me 
the following incident. Conversing with a well- 
known friend, that friend said to him, ^' I wish you 
had heard our minister last Sunday evening ; the 
sermon was so fine, there was not a coarse word 
in it, he was too refined for that, he never used the 
word hell or devil once.'' — Talk about such men 
reforming the church and the w^orld ! No such 
thing ; thej' are destitute of the reforming power ; 
they have neither faith nor courage; and God can- 
not exert his powder through them ; there is a moral 
obstruction in the w^ay of his doing so ; their 
thoughts are not God's thoughts, neither are their 
ways God's ways. They even claim to be more re- 
fined than the Holy Spirit, so much so, that they 
would not use the language that He uses ; no, they 
would not offend the refined taste of their elite audi- 
ence ; hence, thej^ '^ never use the word hell or devil 
once." About the time that God raised up White- 
field and the Wesleys, a certain minister, of great 
refinement of course, venturing, on one occasion, to 
warn outbreaking sinners, said, ''If you do not re- 
form, you will go to a place that I will not name 
before this respectable audience." And this was 
going much farther than many popular ministers 
would dare to go. — Gentlemen, allow a plain man 
to ask 3^ou a few plain questions. Do you believe 
that sinners, open, daring sinners, are in danger of 
going to hell ? Do you believe that the}- are in the 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 223 

direct road to hell ? that except they repent they 
shall perish? that he that believeth not shall be 
damned ? that except they are born again they can- 
not see the kingdom of God ? If so, why not lift 
up your warning voice and announce to them the 
startling fact : will they in the day of judgment 
thank you for allowing them to run the whole way 
to hell unwarned, rather than offend them by an- 
nouncing God's truth, and faithfully warning them 
to flee ^' from the wrath to come?'' What will it 
profit you, though j^ou should gain the whole world, 
if you save neither yourself nor those who hear you, 
if both you and they drop into hell together ? O 
be honest, and, to this end, if you do not believe the 
Bible, say so, but if you do, then declare the whole 
counsel of God, alike regardless of the deceptive 
smiles, and the threatening frowns, of man whose 
breath is in his nostrils. And if j^ou have neither 
faith nor courage, cr}^ mightily to God, and never 
rest till 3'ou have both. Nor must you stop here, 
but proceed at once to make the next addition, in 
its appropriate place, for unless you do so you can 
progress no further. 



CHAPTER VII. 

Add knowledge — This is essential to the development of the 
preceding graces — How these graces mutually increase each 
other — Luther, Zwingle, and others, are produced as exam- 
ples — Consequences of not adding knowledge are specified, 
specially in the case of Ministers. 

But if you would continue to progress, add to 
both the preceding, knowledge. Unless you in- 
crease in knowledge, how can either your faith or 
your courage increase ? And even if they could 
increase without an increase of knowledge, how 
could you intelligently direct their operations ? 
Under such circumstances your faith, no doubt, 
would degenerate into fanaticism, and your courage 
into rashness and foolhardiness, especially if your 
teachers were as ignorant as yourself. And it is 
precisely" in this way, if I mistake not, that thou- 
sands have become raving fanatics, noisy dream- 
ers ; whereas, had they increased in knowledge, 
they would have increased in faith, courage, and 
usefulness. Wisdom, being the right use of know- 
ledge, my wisdom cannot exceed my knowledge ; 
neither can my faith, for I cannot believe what I 
do not know. An uncertain knowledge, if there be 
such a thing, can only result in conjecture, at the 
best ; it cannot result in faith, properly so called. 

In like manner, courage, being the legitimate off- 
224 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 225 

spring of faith, and also faith's armor-bearer, it 
must, of course, be subject to the same limitation. 
Or, as I said before, if it could increase without an 
increase of knowledge, how could it operate with- 
out a corresponding increase of knowledge to direct 
its operations ? If it operate at all, it must, as I 
said before, result in blunder and disaster. The 
fact is, courage, like love, must have an object. As 
I cannot love what does not exist, neither can my 
courage lead me to the conquest of an enemy that 
does not exist, or of whose existence I am entirely 
ignorant : it cannot carry me over a mountain or 
river that does not exist, or of which I am as yet 
entirely ignorant. If I pass over such a mountain 
or river, while ignorant thereof, it must be by 
chance, or by some other power, not by courage. 
I may have power to love that which does not exist, 
or of which I am ignorant, but as yet I do not ac- 
tually love it. In like manner, I may have power 
courageously to attack and conquer an enemy that 
does not yet exist, or of which I am ignorant ; but 
the courage cannot actually exist till the enemy 
exists and is known as such. I say as such^ for I 
cannot courageously attack as an enemy, though he 
is such, one whom, in my ignorance, I still recog- 
nize to be a friend. From these considerations, and 
from many others that might be adduced, it is, we 
think, quite evident, that my faith, love, and cour- 
age, cannot exist or increase beyond the limit of 
my knowledge, though they may come far short of 
it, which is alwaj^s criminal. 

Courage and knowledge mutually support and 



226 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

increase each other. For instance : if I put forth 
noble deeds of courage, I am thus made to know, 
as I otherwise could not have known, what courage 
can do — what I can do — thus my knowledge is in- 
creased. And this knowledge leads to other noble 
deeds, that I have supposed to be impossible. 
Hence, as long as I make a good use of the in- 
crease of either one, the increase of that one will 
lead to the increase of the other ; and thus the 
mutual increase continues. It is thus that some 
men can do what others conceive to be impossible. 
And when a mishap occurs, it is because knowledge 
and courage are not reciprocal in proportion and 
operation. It is equally clear, that knowledge with- 
out courage is useless, and even pernicious. For 
instance : when Luther obtained a knowledge of 
the doctrine of justification by faith, what would 
that knowledge have accomplished if he had not 
had courage to embrace it for himself, and proclaim 
it to others, defiant of the Koman Pontiff, Charles 
the Fifth, and all their combined forces ? To this 
question there is but one answer. It would simply 
have increased his guilt. But Luther added cour- 
age to his faith, and thus conquered the Pope, the 
Emperor, the world, and the devil, and saved him- 
self and multitudes of others ; yea, though dead, 
he 3^et speaketh. The very same did Zwingle ; and 
every advance step that these noble men took in 
their illustrious career, demanded the mutual action 
of their faith, courage, and knoivledge. For in- 
stance: when the contest was raging with regard to 
the Sacrament of the Supper — Rome contending 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 227 

for the dogma of Transubstantiation, attempting 
to support it by the words, '' This is my body" — 
Zwingle examined the divine teaching on this sub- 
ject in the Hebrew and Greek. The result was, a 
very important increase of knowledge ; and to this 
knowledge he added courage. Hence, in the midst 
of the grand council in Zurich, he announced the 
startling discovery, viz., that there is no word in 
the Greek language but sott (is) to represent the 
idea signify, and that, consequently, it is used in 
the Greek language to convey this idea. In sup- 
port of this position, he referred to Exod. xii. 11, 
where the seventy use it for this purpose in trans- 
lating the words, " Ye shall eat it in haste ; it is the 
Lord's passover." Thus guided by the Hebrew and 
Greek texts, by the obvious sense in which the 
seventy used the word esti ; by the common con- 
sent of all as to the meaning of the text in Exodus; 
not that the lamb was the Lord's passover, but 
that it signified his passing over the Israelites 
when he smote the Egyptians. And finally, guided 
by our Lord's comment upon his own words, he tri- 
umphantly proved to the grand council that the 
words, '' This is my body," " This is my blood," 
mean, this signifies my body, this signifies my 
blood, as the lamb signified his passage over the 
Israelites wiien he slew the Eg^'ptians. Zwingle, 
having thus added knowledge, he added corres- 
ponding courage, and demanded that the mass and 
transiibstantiation should be swept out of the 
church, together with consiibstantiationj and that 
the sacrament of the supper should take the place 



228 POWER WITH god and with men. 

of these human inventions, and be administered 
according to the original institution. "And it was 
so." For, as D'Aubigne states, "The altars were 
taken away, and simple tables, covered with the 
bread and wine of the eucharist, were substituted 
in their place, while an attentive crowd eagerly 
sought to find a place at these tables. A very 
solemn aspect was presented by the action of this 
multitude." In this way was the Lord's Supper 
restored to his church in Switzerland. And this 
holy feast, the first after many long ages of dark- 
ness and sacrilegious fraud, lasted three da^^s in 
Zurich, " and there was great joy in that city." 
The feast was truly a eucharistic feast. 

But what we more especially desire to be noticed, 
is the important fact that this victory on behalf of 
God's church and cause, was not achieved without 
courage. When the change was proposed, strong 
men trembled, and apprehended the most awful 
consequences. Thus to sweep away, at a stroke, 
the holy mass, the transubstantiated body, blood, 
soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ, together with 
the long-established faith and customs of the 
church, w^hich, to the eyes of hoary-headed sages, 
appeared gray and venerable with age, was an act 
that was thought to be as daring as it would be 
disastrous. But Zwingle and his noble colleagues 
were undaunted, and fearlessly did that very thing 
which so much frighted their neighbors, and woke the 
thunders of the Vatican, causing them to roll down 
from the seven hills with sevenfold fury ; and these 
thunders were to exhaust all their fury upon Zwin- 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION 229 

gle and the men who united with him in this work 
of reformation. Bnt, defiant of all that men could 
say or do, Z win gle said it shall be so ; ''and it 
was so " Now, how did those men perform those 
noble acts, which resulted in this glorious reforma- 
tion ? I answer, by adding to their faith courage^ 
and to their courage knowledge. Their faith, their 
courage, and their knoivledge, wrought together, 
mutually supporting and increasing each other. 
Zvvingle was at Zurich, and Erasmus was at JSazil. 
Zwingle did much, Erasmus did little — perhaps I 
might say, nothing — in the work of the great 
reformation. In this work, Zwingle was a power, 
Erasmus perfect weakness. Why ? Did Zwingle 
understand the Hebrew and the Greek languages 
better than Erasmus ? No. Did not Erasmus 
know, as well as Zwingle, the meaning of the word 
fart, in the passages referred to ? Doubtless. Did 
he not know, as well as Zwingle, that transubstan- 
tiation was a human invention, involving contra- 
diction and absolute impossibility? He did. Why, 
then, did he not say and do as did Zwingle ? Why 
did he not unite with the Swiss and German re- 
formers in their noble eflforts to beat back the 
powers of darkness, and deliver the people from 
tyranny here, and destruction hereafter ? Why did 
he not on this occasion come up ''to the help of 
the Lord against the mighty?'' I answer, simply 
because he did not add courage. He courted the 
smiles, and feared the frowns of Rome, while Zwin- 
gle and the other reformers did neither. Moreover, 
while Erasmus added the knowledge of letters, he 

20 



230 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

did not add the knowledge of God and the things 
of God. His faith, his knowledge, and his courage, 
did not act in harmony — they did not mutually 
support and increase each other. Hence, there was 
no Christian progression, either in Mm, or produced 
by him. This progression is only found where men 
add to their faith courage, and to courage know- 
ledge. In short, it is simply impossible to progress 
save in that way that God has marked out by his 
servant Peter. And, remember, to enter upon this 
way you must be justified by faith; before this, no 
child of Adam can enter upon it. And when you 
are in this way, you must progress or leave it ; and 
to progress, you must " add to your faith courage, 
and to courage knowledge'' — '^ grow in grace, and 
in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
Christ'' — '' desiring the sincere milk of the word, 
that ye may grow thereby." ''For the soul to be 
without knowledge is not good ;" but " this is life 
eternal, to know thee, the only true God, and Jesus 
Christ whom thou hast sent." For want of ob- 
serving these important teachings of the Holy 
Spirit, there are ministers who could have preached 
better, more intelligently, more efficiently, twenty 
years ago, than thej^ can to-day ; though they still 
retain sufficient bodily strength. 0, what have 
such added to their faith during those long and 
precious years of opportunity ! Surely, these things 
ought not so to be. But this is but a small part 
of the evil of not progressing. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Add temperance. Erroneous views exposed, and the meaning 
of the vrord eyfcparsia given — Christian temperance is dvrelt 
upon at great length, and its nature and extent specified — 
Mr. Wesley's definition and views of temperance — Scripture 
teachings on this subject — Erroneous views farther exposed 
— Defects of modern temperance lectures, and temperance 
movements — It was by not adding temperance that Solomon 
and multitudes of others were ruined — It was by not adding 
temperance that the primitive churches were ruined, and 
the dark ages brought on — The activity essential to the 
Christian character will lead to ruin if temperance does not 
keep pace with it. 

And having progressed thus far, if 3^ou would 
continue to progress, 5^ou must make the next addi- 
tion just here, by adding to your knowledge temper- 
ance. But what is temperance ? In these days of 
temperance movements, temperance lectures, tem- 
perance papers, temperance societies, temperance 
festivals, temperance lodges, temperance flags, tem- 
perance passwords, temperance grips, temperance 
signs, temperance songs, temperance leagues, and 
temperance laws ; some may think that the question 
is a very tame one, and that the subject is already 
well understood. But, alas ! we fear this is far 
from being the case. Indeed, in popular phrase it 

has come to mean no more than total abstinence 

231 



232 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

from intoxicating drinks. We do not believe, how- 
ever, that it ever has this meaning, and we know it 
has not this meaning in tlie text before us ; though 
we are perfectly willing, nay, more, very desirous 
that men should thus abstain from such drinks. 
But God never commands us to be temperate in 
what is positively wrong ; with regard to such 
things total abstinence is always the law. But 
temperance is enjoined with regard to such things 
as may be used, but are liable to be abused. At 
best, the temperance contended for by temperance 
lectures, and temperance societies, makes but a 
small part of Christian temperance, which is the 
temperance enjoined by the Apostles in the passage 
under consideration. A man who never saw strong 
drink may be as intemperate as Cain, or as Judas 
was ; and if he should die in his sins, may become as 
intemperate as the devil himself, who is the embodi- 
ment of all intemperance, though it will not be 
claimed, we presume, that he ever drank any 
spirituous liquors. It follows, that one may resem- 
ble the devil in badness, and yet, never be guilt}'- 
of the intemperance against which temperance lec- 
tures declaim. It follows too, that temperance 
societies, so called, are a poor substitute for the 
church of God, and temperance lectures a poor 
substitute for the gospel ministry : yet it is not an 
uncommon thing for men who have been solemnly 
consecrated to this ministry, to leave it and turn 
temperance lecturers. But this, alas ! is only one 
of the many improvements of this age of improve- 
ments ; only one of the new discoveries for which 



CTIRTSTTAN PROGRESSION. 2o3 

this our day is so remarkable. Let it be remem- 
bered then, that one may be a thorough temperance 
man, according to modern phrase, and. yet be as 
bad as Cain, or Judas ; and even resemble the devil 
himself in badness. This being the case we cannot 
believe that the subject of temperance is sufficiently 
understood, even yet. 

But the question still recurs, what is temperance ? 
We mean what is that temperance which the 
Apostle exhorts the Christian to add to the faith, 
courage, and knowledge which he already has ? 
Certainly it cannot be the mere abstinence from 
intoxicating drinks ; to suppose that this is the 
temperance here enjoined, is to suppose that a man 
may have the high Christian character here de- 
veloped by the Apostle, before he is thus temperate ; 
which is to suppose what is contradictory and im- 
possible. To suppose that the Apostle exhorts 
such a Christian to add this kind of temperance to 
his faith, courage, and advanced Christian know- 
ledge, is absurd ; for a man cannot have any of 
these Christian graces, or be a Christian at all, 
before he is thus temperate. It were too late, then, 
for the Apostle to come to such holy persons with 
such an exhortation. Hence, the question still 
recurs. What is the temperance which the Apostle 
exhorts the Christian to add to the bright constella- 
tion of graces already possessed ? To answer this 
question, it will be necessary to ascertain the mean- 
ing of the word Eyxpatstd, for this is the word here 
used by the Apostle. This word, says Parkhurst, 
is *' from fya:par>;?,'' and means self-government 
20* 



234 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

or moderation with regard to sensual-pleasures, 
temperance, continence." In proof of this he quotes 
several texts, and amongst the rest that now under 
consideration. It means, says Greenfield, '' modera- 
tion, continence, self-control, temperance ;" not 
moderation with regard to what is absolutely for- 
bidden, but with regard to what is allowable to a 
moderate extent. Self-government. This is a word 
of more extensive signification ; it means such a 
control of all inward and outward action as pre- 
serves from extremes on every hand ; such a control 
as subjects the whole man to the will of God, caus- 
ing all his powers to act in harmony with God's will 
as revealed in his word, and is opposed to undue 
fasting as well as to undue eating. Those who kill 
themselves by fasting, and those who kill themselves 
by eating or drinking, are alike guilty of self-murder 
and are alike intemperate. There are many killed 
by intemperate drinking, but I am inclined to think 
that a still greater number are killed by intemperate 
eating, while others are killed by smoking; some 
are killed by doing nothing, while others are killed 
by over exertion : but all are intemperate ; and the 
remedy for all these evils, and a thousand others, 
is that here prescribed by the Apostle ; add temper- 
ance to the other good qualities which you may 
possess. Working, resting, sleeping, waking, eat- 
ing, drinking, loving, hating, hoping, fearing, 
saving, spending, giving, receiving, resisting, yield- 
ing ; all, all are good, when in harmony with the 
divine will ; and this is the case when temperance 
has her perfect work, and then only. ''Now the 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 235 

Spirit speaketh expressl}'', that in the latter times 
some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to 
seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking 
lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared 
with a hot iron ; forbidding to marry, and command- 
ing to abstain from meats, which God hath created 
to be received with thanksgiving of them which be- 
lieve and know the truth. For every creature of 
God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be 
received with thanksgiving : for it is sanctified by 
the word of God, and prayer. If thou put the 
brethren in remembrance of these things, thou 
shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished 
up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, 
whereunto thou hast attained. But refuse profane 
and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself unto 
godliness." I have quoted the above passage, be- 
cause I believe it develops in a very striking man- 
ner the meaning of the word under consideration. 
Whoever will critically examine the word, or care- 
fully notice its meaning as given b}^ lexicographers, 
will see, I have no doubt, that this one word sanc- 
tions and forbids, all that is sanctioned and for- 
bidden in the above passage, and much more. The 
Pope claims to be very temperate, forsooth, because 
he forbids what God has commanded, and commands 
what God has forbidden ; but by so doing he prac- 
tices and promotes intemperance, not temperance. 
But instead of giving such teachers credit for tem- 
perance, the Spirit charges all such with '' depart- 
ing from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, 
and doctrines of devils,'' and '' profane and old wives' 



236 POWER WTTII GOD AND WITH MEN. 

fables." Mr. Wesley's definition of temperance is 
in his characteristic style, laconic^ and yet compre- 
hensive and forcible. — *' The voluntarily abstaining 
from all pleasure that does not lead to God." 
Among all our temperance lecturers can you find 
one who ever thought of such a definition of temper- 
ance as that here given ? Nor will you find in all 
the rules of our temperance societies any thing 
superior to the following from the same great 
teacher — -'Bu^dng or selling spirituous liquors, or 
drinking them, unless in cases of extreme neces- 
sity." His preaching, too, was in keeping v/ith 
this : — Take the following from his sermon entitled 
*' The use of money," and discussed under the fol- 
lowing three heads, viz, : '* Gain all you can." 
*' Save all you can." ''Give all you can." Under 
the first head he shows that we may not gain at the 
expense or injury of others. After dealing some 
heavy blows upon doctors, merchants, gold-dealers 
and others, he puts his whole strength to it and 
strikes after this fashion; — "Neither may w^e gain 
b}^ hurting our neighbor in his body. Therefore 
we may not sell any thing which tends to impair 
health. Such is, eminently, all that liquid fire, 
commonly called drams, or spirituous liquors. It 
is true these may have a place in medicine, they 
may be of use in some bodily disorders ; although 
there would rarely be occasion for them, were it not 
for the unskilfulness of the practitioner. Therefore 
such as prepare and sell them only for this end, 
may keep their conscience clear. But who are 
they ? Who prepare them only for this end ? Do 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 237 

3^011 know ten such distillers in England? Then 
excuse these. But all who sell them in the common 
wa}', to any that will buy, are poisoners general. 
They murder his majesty's subjects by wholesale, 
neither does their eye pity or spare. They drive 
them to hell like sheep : and what is their gain ? 
Is it not the blood of these men ? Who then would 
envy their large estates and sumptuous palaces ? 
A curse is in the midst of them: the curse of God 
cleaves to the stones, the timber, the furniture of 
them ! The curse of God is in their gardens, their 
walks, their groves ; si fire that burns to the nether- 
most hell. Blood, blood is there : the foundation, 
the floor, the walls, the roof, are stained with blood. 
And canst thou hope, oh thou man of blood, though 
thou art clothed in scarlet and fine linen, and farest 
sumptuously every day ; canst thou hope to deliver 
dow^n thy fields of blood to the third generation ? 
Not so; for there is a God in heaven: therefore, 
th}^ name shall soon be rooted out. Like as those 
w^hom thou hast destroyed, body and soul, 'thy 
memorial shall perish W'ith thee !' " In a word, 
*' Gain all you can,'' but injure no man in body or 
soul, hold sacred all his interests, for time, and for 
eternity. 

The next proposition in this good old temper- 
ance sermon is, '' save all 3^ou can.'' Don't waste 
any thing to gratify" the flesh, the eye, or the pride 
of life ; for this would be to spend this '' precious 
talent," your money, to increase your unholy 
passions. ^' And why should 3^ou throw away 
money upon your children, an}^ more than upon 



238 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

yourself." Neither ''leave it to them to throw 
away." '* How amazing then is the infatua- 
tion of those parents who think they can never 
leave their children enough ! What ! cannot you 
leave them enough of arrows, firebrands, and death ? 
Not enough of foolish and hurtful desires ? Not 
enough of pride, lust, ambition, vanity? Not 
enough of everlasting burnings ! Poor wretch I 
Thou fearest where no fear is. Surely both thou 
and they, when ye are lifting up 3^our eyes in hell, 
will have enough of 'the worm that never dieth/ 
and of 'the fire that- never shall be quenched!'" 
" Save all you can," but not in any of these ways, 
this is not to save but to destroy ; this is the 
veriest intemperance ^ not temperance. Neither 
*' can a man be properly said to save any thing, 
if he only lays it up. You may as well throw 
your money into the sea, or bury it in the earth. 
And you may as well bury it in the earth, as in 
your chest, or in the bank of England. Not to 
use, is efiectually to throw it away." As j^et here 
is no temperance, but intemperance. If you stop 
here you are no better than a thief or a robber; 
you rob both God and man of their due. What 
then ? Why, there is but one remedy ; here it is, 
" Give all you can ;" not to build monuments to 
gratify thy vanity, but to feed and clothe the 
poor, and promote the cause of God in the earth. 
Do this, or thy gaining and saving are the veriest 
intemperance: give, give, "or as the Lord liveth 
and as thy soul liveth," thou art undone : to gain 
and save, and yet not give, is to turn these 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 2'39 

blessings into the most terrible curses. '' Waste 
nothing," says the holy man. " Waste nothing, 
living or dying, on sin or folly, whether for yourself 
or your children ; and then, give all you can, or, 
in other words, give all you have to God. Do not 
stint yourself, like a Jew rather than a Christian, 
to this or that proportion ; render unto God, not 
a tenth, not a third, not half, but all that is God's, 
be it more or less." ^^ No more sloth !" he exclaims 
again ; ^* whatsoever your hand findeth to do, do 
it with your might ! No more waste ! Cut off 
everj^ expense which fashion, caprice, or flesh and 
blood demand. No more covetousness, but employ 
whatever God has entrusted you with in doing 
good, all possible good, in every possible kind and 
degree, to the household of faith, to all men !" 

Thus it was that John Wesley preached temper- 
ance, in all its compass ; not that narrow thing now 
called temperance — the mere abstinence from in- 
toxicating drinks. Nor did he preach in vain. No. 
Multitudes, sunk and sinking in all kinds of in- 
temperance, became thoroughly temperate, in every 
sense of the word. His societies, or churches, were 
the grand temperance societies of those days. He 
did not give his people into the hands of infidels, 
that they might form them into societies and teach 
them temperance. Not so ; he proclaimed salvation 
— «-ll salvation— 62/ grace through faith : salvation 
to the uttermost. And all who accepted salvation 
on these terms, the only terms upon which salva- 
tion can be had, he gathered together into the 
.acred fold, according to divine appointment ; and 



240 POWER WITH GOD AxND WITH MEN. 

being satisfied with a place in this sacred enclosure, 
among God's people, they sweetly sang, — 

" Let us then sweet counsel take. 

How to make our calling sure ; 
Our election how to make, 

Past the reach of hell, secure, 
Build we each the other up ; 

Pray we for our faith's increase ; 
Solid comfort, settled hope, 

Constant joy, and lasting peace." 

And again, — 

'' 0, do not suffer him to part 
The souls that here agree ; 
But make us* of one mind and heart, 
And keep us one in thee. 

" Together let us sweetly live, — 
Together let us die ; 
And each a starry crown receive, 
And reign above the sky." 

And yet again : — 

" Let worldly minds the world pursue, 

It has no charms for me : 
Once I admired its trifles too, 

But grace hath set me free. 

" Its pleasures can no longer please. 
Nor happiness afford : 
Far from my heart be joys like these, 
Now I have found the Lord.'' 

This is gospel salvation. The heart is weaned 
from all forbidden things, and made to delight in 
God and the things of God. Then, and not till 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 241 

then, will a man *' Gain all he can ;" '' Save all he 
can;" and ''Give all he can!" This is temper- 
ance in earnest. And, observe, a greater authority 
than John Wesley speaks words still more pointed 
and terrible, aiming them directly at all those who 
gain and save^ but do not give. '' Go to now, ye 
rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that 
shall come upon 3^ou. Your riches are corrupted, 
and your garments are moth-eaten, jour gold and 
silver are cankered ; and the rust of tl>em shall be 
a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it 
were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the 
last days." 

It is easy to see that these men meant something 
when they preached. John Wesley struck heavy 
blows, but James struck heavier still. John said 
strong things about laying up treasure upon earth, 
but James, I think, has said still stronger things to 
the same characters. And, it may be well to say 
in passing, that John Wesley practiced what he 
preached It is said that he gave away in the 
course of his life not less than one hundred and fifty 
thousand pounds sterling! And when he died he 
had just about enough left to pay his funeral ex- 
penses. This is what he had long before promised 
the world he would do, and gave them leave to call 
him a thief and a robber if he would do otherwise. 
Truly here is temperance in preaching and practice. 
O what a difference, both in practice and theory, 
between this great temperance preacher, and the 
bulk of temperance lecturers who in the present 

day try to make a fortune by lecturing on temper- 

21 



242 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

ance, and then do little more than make the people 
laugh. John Wesley did more to promote genuine 
temperance in all its branches, than such men ever 
did, or ever will do, even though they were as 
numerous as the armies of Artaxerxes, or even as 
the frogs of Egypt. Yet such lecturers would have 
us believe that the pulpit had proved a signal fail- 
ure, and that the world, especially Christendom, 
was just at the point of ruin when they appeared 
on the stage ; and all would certainly have been 
lost long since, had they not come to the rescue. 
I mj^self heard a lecturer say this much, and more 
than this, for he specified the Bible as well as the 
pulpit. I make these remarks because I would have 
it understood that it is by declaring the whole coun- 
sel -^ God that the world is to be saved, not by 
telling humorous stories, one half of which, per- 
haps, are not true. And, be it understood, Gospel 
Salvation includes temperance in all its latitude 
and longitude I Go, then, and preach as did Paul, 
Peter, James, Luther, Zwingle, Whitefield, Wesley, 
and other holy men who preached the preaching 
that God commanded them to preach : and pay no 
attention to those who would have you turn your 
churches into places of amusement, and your min- 
isters into humorous lecturers and story-tellers. 

I have dwelt upon Wesley's temperance preach- 
ing not only to show, if possible, the extensive 
meaning of this important word, but because he 
anticipated the very same evil that is anticipated in 
the Scripture under investigation, and, consequently, 
gave temperance the very same place among the 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 243 

Christian graces, that is given to it by the Apostle 
Peter. With his characteristic discrimination, he 
saw that a genuine Gospel ministry would cause 
the people to become intelligent, active, prudent, and 
economical : and that the natural result of this, 
together with God's blessing upon such a life, 
would be, that they would become rich. He saw 
with equal clearness that unless their temperance 
would keep pace with their prosperity, this very 
prosperity would prove their ruin. Hence he fre- 
quently touched upon this subject in his sermons, 
and finally took it up in good earnest, frequently 
preaching from the text, '' Lay not up for your- 
selves treasures upon earth,'' etc., etc. Introducing 
in connection with this text these words of our 
Lord, " If any man be willing to do my will, he 
shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God," 
he gives the following incident to show why men do 
not know, or pretend not to know, so plain a text : 
" Two as sensible men as most in England, sat 
down together, some time since, to read over and 
consider that plain discourse on. ' Lay not up for 
yourselves treasures upon earth.' After much deep 
consideration, one of- them broke out, 'Positively, I 
cannot understand it. Pray do you understand it, 
Mr. L. ?' Mr. L. honestly replied, 'Indeed, not I. 
I cannot conceive what Mr. W. means. I can 
make nothing at all of it ?' " Such was the decision 
of '' Two as sensible men as most in England," 
''after much deep consideration," on Mr. Wesley's 
" plain discourse" upon " Lay not up for yourselves 
treasures upon earth." The reason Mr. Wesley 



244 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

assigns for the obtuseness of these two very sensible 
men, with regard to his plain temperance sermon, 
is found, he says, in that text, ^' If any man be 
willing to do my will, he shall know of the doctrine 
whether it be of God.'' In this sermon which these 
gentlemen found so hard to be understood, Mr. 
Wesley talks after this manner : — '' How does ex- 
perience confirm this? Even after God hath opened 
the eyes of the understanding, if we seek or desire 
any thing else than God, how soon is our foolish 
heart darkened ? Then clouds again rest upon our 
souls. Doubts and fears again overwhelm us. We 
are tossed to and fro, and know not what to do, or 
which is the path wherein we should go. But when 
we desire and seek nothing but God, clouds and 

doubts vanish away." ^' God showeth us 

the path wherein we should go, and maketh plain 
the way before our face.'' This not laying up 
treasure upon earth, this desiring and seeking God 
alone, this single eye, is temperance in earnest, 
Scripture temperance, the temperance which John 
Wesley preached, and which these sensible gentle- 
men could not understand, no not '^ after much 
deep consideration." After dwelling at some length 
upon this subject, Mr. W. adds, '^ And it is also 
matter of daily experience, that by grace we are 
[thus] saved through faith." Thus he not only 
shows what true temperance is, but also, how it is 
obtained. Nor will it ever be either understood, or 
experienced till it is sought in the way here stated, 
''By grace through faith." Mr. W. also shows, 
that between a single^ and an evil eye, there is no 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 245 

medium. And in this particular also, he teaches 
just what Christ teaches, — ''But if thine eye be 
evil thy whole body shall be full of darkness." 
Hence Mr. Wesley^s, as well as our Lord's sermon, 
is all mystery to certain gentlemen, they can '' make 
nothing at all of it !" Particularly when he says, 
" With regard to most of the commandments of 
God, whether relating to the heart or life, the heathen 
of Africa or America stand much on a level with 
those who are called Christians. The Christians 
observe them (a few only being excepted) very near 
as much as the heathens. For instance : the gener- 
ality of the natives of England, commonly called 
Christians, are as sober and as temperate as the 
generality of the heathen near the Cape of Good 
Hope, And so the Dutch or French Christians are as 
humble and as chaste as the Choctaw or Cherokee 
Indians. It is not easy to say, when we compare 
the Dulk of the nations in Europe with those in 
America, whether the superiority lies on the one 
side or the other." After saying a great deal more 
of this kind, and all addressed to those who seek 
and lay up treasures upon earth, he exclaims, 
'' Hear ye this, all ye that dwell in the world, and 
love the world wherein ye dwell ! Ye may be high- 
ly esteemed of men ; but ye are an abomination in 
the sight of God ! How long shall 3^our souls cleave 
to the dust ? How long will you load yourselves 
with thick clay ? When will ye awake and see, that 
the open, speculative heathen are nearer the king- 
dom of heaven than you ? When will you be per- 
suaded to choose the better part, that which cannot 

21* 



24() POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

be taken away from you ? When will ye seek only 
to lay up treasures in heaven ; renouncing, dreading, 
abhorring all others ? If you aim at ' laying up 
treasures on earth,' you are not barely losing your 
time, and spending your strength for that which is 
not bread ; for what is the fruit if you succeed ? — 
You have murdered your own soul ! You have 
extinguished the last spark of spiritual life therein. 
Now, indeed, in the midst of life, you are in death ! 

You are a living man, but a dead Christian." 

**Your love, your jo}^, 3^our desire, are all placed 
on the things which perish in the using. You have 
thrown away the treasures in heaven. God and 
Christ are lost ! You have gained riches, — and hell 
fire !'' 

Alas ! how many are there now, who understand 
this kind of preaching just as little as did the two 
gentlemen who said, '' Positivel}^ I cannot under- 
stand if *'I cannot conceive what Mr. Wesley 
means, I can make nothing at all of itP' Well, 
whether you understand Wesle}^, or not, do you 
understand Jesus, when he commands jou not to 
*' Lay up treasure upon earth •/' when he exhorts 
that your eye be single, not evil, and assures you the 
former is a state of light, the latter a state of great 
darkness ? If we do not understand this, it is with 
a poDr grace that we talk either about Christian 
temperance, or Christian progression. 

In his sermon entitled the wisdom of God,^s coun 
selSj he takes occasion to lift up his warning voice 
thus, upon this same subject : — '* Once more, there- 
fore, I say, having gained and saved all you can, 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 247 

do you give all you can ? else your mouey will eat 
your flesh as fire, and will sink you to the nether- 
most hell 1 O beware of ' laying up treasures upon 
earth!' Is it not treasuring up wrath against the 
day of wrath ? Lord, I have warned them I but if 
they will not be warned, what can I do more ? I can 
only ' give them up unto their own heart's lusts, 
and let them follow their own imaginations.' By 
not taking this warning, it is certain many of the 
Methodists are already fallen ; many are falling at 
this very time ; and there is great reason to appre- 
hend, that many more will fall, most of whom will 
rise no more !'' 

In his sermon *' on riches,'' and while dwelling 
on the topic, '^ denying ourselves," after saying 
much, and bending all his strength to it, he thus 
touchingly exclaims, ^' that God would give me 
acceptable words 1 and cause them to sink deep into 
your hearts ! Many of you have known me long, 
well nigh from your infancy : you have frequently 
helped me, when I stood in need. May I not say, 
you loved me ? But now the time of our parting 
is at hand: my feet are just stumbling upon the 
dark mountains. I would leave one word with you, 
before I go hence ; and you may remember it when 
I am no more seen. let your heart be whole 
with God I Seek your happiness in him, and in 
him alone. Beware that you cleave not to the dust! 
This earth is not your place ! See that you use 
the world as not abusing it : use the world, and 
e7ijoy God. Sit as loose to all things here below, 
as if you were a poor beggar. Be a good steward 



248 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

of the manifold gifts of Gocl ; that when you are 
called to give an account of your stewardship, he 
may say, ' Well done, good and faithful servant, 
enter thou into the joy of thy Lord 1' '' 

Thus did Mr. Wesley clearly see, and faithfully 
show, that previous attainments, though in them- 
selves great blessings, would be turned into the 
veriest curses, if temperance were not added. And 
this is precisely the evil that is anticipated, and 
guarded against in the Scripture under considera- 
tion, and which so clearly points out the path, the 
only path, of Christian progress. Having advanced 
so far, in faith, courage, and knowledge, now add 
temperance. We are not to suppose, of course, that 
this grace did not exist previous to this time, but 
having made these advances in temporal, as well as 
in intellectual and moral attainments, there are 
stronger temptations to intemperance, and, conse- 
quently, additional reasons for fortifying yourself 
in that direction. For instance, you are more liable 
to become proud of your attainments , than you were 
to become proud of your destitution ; and pride is 
the worst kind of intemperance. You are more 
liable to think more highly of yourself than you 
ought to think, in view of your attainments in 
knowledge, than you were in view of your ignorance, 
especially if other attainments are not equal, for, in 
this case at least, ''knowledge puffeth up.'' More- 
over, when you were poor, in temporalities, almost 
as poor, though as holy, as Lazarus, it was not pos- 
sible for you, in your pride and self-sufficiency, to 
exclaim with the Laodiceans, '' I am rich, and in- 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 249 

creased with goods, and have need of nothing:" 
nor was it possible for you, then, to be enamored 
with a well-furnished mansion, and a splendid equip- 
age ; for you neither had, nor could have, any thing 
of the kind ; and, perhaps, you neither desired nor 
thought of such things, but would have been well 
satisfied with an humble, though comfortable home. 
And it was equally impossible for you to be " clothed 
in purple and fine linen, and fare sumptuously every 
day." In these ways, and many others, it was not 
then possible for 3^ou to become intemperate ; but 
having become rich and honorable, by the Christian 
attainments above specified, it is quite possible for 
you to become intemperate in all these ways, and 
many others ; indeed you are surrounded with many 
and strong temptations to become intemperate ; and 
the flatterers by whom rich and honorable men are 
always surrounded, are amongst their most danger- 
ous tempters. 

Hence the necessity of now adding temperance, 
and guarding against intemperance, to an extent that 
was not previously necessary. If Nebuchadnezzar 
had been a.poor man, he never had said, ^' Is not 
this great Bab3'lon, that I have built for the house 
of the kingdom, by the might of my power, and 
for the honor of my majesty ;" and, consequently, 
would never have been thus intemperate — would 
never have had his '* dwelling with the beasts of 
the field," where he was caused to ^'eat grass as 
oxen." For the same reason, if the primitive 
Christian churches had never become rich and 
honorable, the great apostacy had never taken 



250 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

place ; nor would it have taken place, if they had 
taken the advice of that Apostle, whom, without 
reason, they claimed to be their patron. No ; the 
apo Stacy never could have taken place, if they 
had added to their knowledge, temperance. But 
they became intemperate, and thereby turned all 
their blessings into curses ; and ruin, universal ruin, 
was the result — the inevitable result. This was 
specially the case under Constantine. Then, po- 
sition in the Christian church became very desira- 
ble. Hence it was sought by men of worldly 
aspirations ; and soon these honor and pleasure 
seeking dignitaries took the places of the holy and 
humble primitive pastors of Christ's flock, and, like 
their Jewish ancestors, another apostate genera- 
tion, they '' beat one, and killed another, and 
stoned another." And having thus killed off the 
faithful pastors, and, as far as possible, Jesus also, 
they said, ^' Let us seize upon his inheritance." 
And the}^ did so ; and to this day the}^ are living, 
upon that inheritance, a life of intemperance and 
infamy ; and that which was a fruitful field, a para- 
dise, when they seized it, has long since become a 
waste howling wilderness, full of ravenous beasts 
and venomous serpents. And so it will remain, 
doubtless, till the Lord of the vineyard destroys 
those murderers, and gives his vineyard to others 
who shall render him the fruits in their seasons. 

Once more. Solomon, too, had a good begin- 
ning. He evidently had faith, and the concomi- 
tant graces to a very encouraging extent. And, 
we presume, he added courage ; and it is quite 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 251 

certain he added knowledge, and that to an un- 
precedented extent. So that for a time he had 
an illustrious career; but, alas! he did not add 
temperance adequate to his circumstances. And 
just here progress terminated, and retrogression 
commenced, and, like his intemperance, continued 
till this once illustrious monarch became a de- 
graded idolator, and sunk down into the veriest 
whirlpool of intemperance under a cloud of unmit- 
io'ated darkness which rests on his o-rave to this 
day ! Here is a man that had placed before him 
one of the brightest prospects, perhaps the bright- 
est, that ever stretched out before a human being, 
and everj^ thing was in his favor: he had riches, 
honors, knowledge, fame, to an incredible extent. 
Yet this same Solomon, so famous for wisdom 
at one time, finally died a fool 1 Why ? Simply 
because he had not wisdom enough to add to his 
knowledge temperance. This one mistake proved 
his ruin! Had Solomon done what the fisherman 
of Galilee here advises, his progress without doubt 
had continued, and his career would have been 
one of the most illustrious ever known among 
men. that I could move all Christians, espe- 
cially rich Christians, to study, prayerfull}^ study, 
these few verses, this single passage of holy writ, 
and put its sublime and heavenly teachings into 
practice. To this end I beg that you will yet 
sit with me at the feet of this great teacher, and 
hear with the profoundest attention the marvellous 
instructions which he is here imparting. 



CHAPTER IX. 

Add patience. This is shown to be absolutely necessary to 
Christian progress ; for, the more Christian activities abound, 
the more is patience rendered necessary — The peculiar work 
of patience at different periods in the Christian life — No 
other grace can take its place and do its work — Sometimes 
one grace must take the lead, sometimes another — Judg- 
ment must lead up first one, and then another, according to 
circumstances ; as an experienced General will lead up to 
the front, first one division, and then another, according 
to the necessities of the occasion — Meaning of the word 
VTro/xrj/co is given — It always springs from, and is supported 
by faith, as are all the Christian graces — It is distinguished 
from stoicism, and from the natural power of endurance as 
seen in the camel or the ox. 

Hear him — ^'And besides this, giving all dili- 
gence, add patience, otherwise your progress must 
terminate just here. For, one who is in possession 
of the faith, courage, knowledge, and temperance, 
here specified, must travel at an uncommon speed, 
and, consequently, m.ust come in contact with the 
unbelieving J cowardly, ignorant, intemperate crea- 
tures, who will, doubtless, view him as being very 
singular, if not very offensive. And singular he 
is, not because he is right, but because the bulk 
of mankind are wrong. Indeed, it would be 
strange, passing strange, if he would not come in 
252 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 25o 

violent collision with some of the multitude, who 
are either moving in an opposite direction, or 
moving very slow, while he is moving very fast. 
Nor would it be strange if he should find it neces- 
sary^ to shove some of them out of the way, or even 
to tramp right over them ! And then, of course, 
their anger and opposition would know no bounds. 
And here, certainly, if not before, he must add 
patience, without dela}^, or he will surely be over- 
come, by partaking of their spirit, and imitating 
their example, even hy " rendering railing for rail- 
ing." Just here it is that he must imitate his 
master, who, " when he was reviled, reviled not 
again ;'' yea, '' as a sheep before her shearer is 
dumb, so he opened not his mouth." But to this 
end he must add patience, nothing else will do. Or, 
if he does not choose to be ''dumb," he must do as 
this same Peter directs — act still more contrary to 
his scolding and cursing neighbors, by not only 
'' not rendering railing for railing, but, contrari- 
wise, blessing." And to this end, he must add 
love as well as patience, otherwise he will not bless 
lovingly, if he does patiently. But if he adds 
patience sufficient for such an emergency, his tri- 
umph is easy, and his progress sure; he will pass 
on, leaving the angry cursing creatures far behind, 
too far even to be heard. And this very conduct, 
while it preserves the soul of the unoffending party 
in peace, will greatly increase the rage of the other. 
Now it is that the rage of Shimei knows no bounds, 
hence he commences to throw stones, as well as 
curse, while patient David travels on, simply say- 

22 



254 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

ing, let *' Shimei curse David/' But these very 
words wound Shimei more than the stones wound 
David. And if the Christian, when thus treated, 
has the spirit of song, as well as that of patience, 
it may be wise to sing the following, or similar 
lines, — 

" Lord I adore thj righteous will, 
Through every instrument of ill 

My Father's goodness see ; 
Accept the complicated wrong 
Of Shimei^ s hand and Shimei^ s tongue 
As kind rebukes from thee.^' 

Such a song as this, if sung very patiently^ 
sweetl}^ and lovingly, may silence Shimei alto- 
gether. Be this as it may, ** In your patience pos- 
sess ye 3^our soul," and you will continue to 
progress despite a host of angry, noisy, Shimeis. 
And in view of such noble conduct another Wesley 
may sing something like the following to your 
praise : 

^'Let Shimei curse: the rod he bears 
For sins which mercy had forgiven ; 
And in the wrongs of man reveres 
The awful righteousness of heaven.'' 

And while patience thus triumphs, all the other 
graces will participate in her victory, and increase 
in strength. No marvel, then, that such patient 
conquering heroes exclaim with Paul, — '* We glory 
in tribulation also ; knowing that tribulation worketh 
patience ; and patience, experience ; and experience, 
hope ; and hope maketh not ashamed : because the 
love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 255 

Holy Ghost which is given unto us." The Christian 
graces, like the members of Christ's mystical body, 
have a mutual sympathy: when one suffers, all 
suffer; and when one triumphs, all participate in 
that triumph. But, although all engage in every 
battle, one or other of the graces takes the lead, 
according to the nature of the contest or character 
of the opposing power. When the contest is like 
that in which David and the three Hebrew children 
engaged in, courage must take the lead ; but when 
the contest is like that in which Job engaged, then 
patience is called upon to act the most prominent 
part. As an experienced general would lead up 
that battalion, or division, that is most adapted to 
the occasion ; so judgment, in this case, must act a 
similar part, leading up to the front that grace 
which is most adapted to the occasion. For in- 
stance, it would be folly to expose meekness or 
patience in the front of the battle that was fought 
with the angry king and his vile courtiers on the 
plain of Dura. There courage was the proper force 
to take the lead, hurling defiance at the enemy, and 
exclaiming as in tones of thunder, in the very face 
of the king, "Be it known unto thee, King, that 
we will not bow down to thine image, nor worship 
it !" jSTever was a battle better ordered, or better 
fought, than that in which courage took the lead 
during that terrible contest on the plains of Babylon, 
in the vicinity of a furnace which flamed and roared 
with infernal furj^ This was not the place for weep- 
ing damsels, like meekness and patience to lead the 
van. No, no, this was the place for courage to 



256 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

shout to the battle, in tones that rose higher and 
louder than the threatenings of the king, and the 
roaring of the furnace, when commingling with '' all 
kinds of music.'' But under such calamities as fell 
upon Job, it was equally proper that meekness and 
patience, clothed in sackcloth and bathed in tears/ 
should lie in the dust, cr3dng with tremulous voice 
in weeping and subdued tones, '' The Lord gave, 
and the Lord hath taken away, and blessed be the 
name of the Lord." Here in the land of Uz, meek- 
ness and patience acted as noble a part, as did faith 
and courage on the plain of Dura. But, whatever 
grace takes the lead, faith is the base, so to speak, 
from which all the supplies are drawn, and drawn 
as needed. At other times faith itself may be said 
to take the lead, as in the taking of Jericho ; then, 
of course, all the walls fell down fiat^ and every 
gun was taken, with the city itself, and the victory 
was complete ; so much so, that Jericho never rose 
again ! 

At other times the progress is continued princi- 
pall}'^ under the leadership of patience ; then it is 
not uncommon to hear the pilgrims sing this song, 
especially when ** passing through the valley of 
Baca,'' — 

'^ Patient the appointed race to run, 
This weary world we cast behind ; 

From strength to strength we travel on, 
The New Jerusalem to find : 

Our labor this, our only aim, 

To find the New Jerusalem." 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 257 

Or this— 

'' Come, let us anew our journey pursue, 
Roll round with the year, 
And never stand still till the Master appear. 
His adorable will let us gladly fulfil, 
And our talents improve. 
By the patience of hope, and the labor of love.'' 

Under such circumstances patience makes a good 
leader, but let her be well supported by all the 
other graces — " My brethren, count it all joy when 
ye fall into divers temptations ; knowing this, that 
the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let 
patience have her perfect work, that ye may be per- 
fect and entire, wanting nothing.'' *' Let patience 
have her perfect work,'' let faith, hope, love, tem- 
perance, courage, even all the graces, render her 
proper assistance, but let none of them attempt to 
take her place. Courage is a good leader, none so 
good, when angry kings, murderous office-seekers, 
lion's dens, and fiery furnaces, are to be met ; when 
it comes to a hand to hand fight with all the armies 
of the aliens on the plains of Babylon, or in the 
valle}^ of Armageddon. But in the valley of Baca, 
the Island of Patmos, the cells of the Inquisition, 
the sick bed, or a place with Lazarus at the rich 
man's gate, or with Job on the dung-hill ; patience 
makes an excellent leader, yea, and an excellent 
nurse too. In such circumstances she exhibits 
inimitable charms, is the veriest Dorcas, and even 
makes all the bed of the afflicted. If she does not 
stop the mouths of lions, and quench the violence of 

22* 



258 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

fire, and turn to fiight the armies of the aliens, ske 
utterly annihilates enemies not less dangerous ; 
such as, murmuring, complaining, fretfulness, in- 
gratitude, and even rebellion, and the worst of all 
enemies, despair itself ! Therefore, *' Let patience 
have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and 
entire, lacking nothing!" Truly very excellent 
things are spoken of this same patience. Indeed 
it is difficult to speak too highly of her. It would 
even seem that every other grace receives its com- 
plete finish, its highest polish, under her hand, for 
it is only when she has '' her perfect work," that 
we are '^perfect and entire, lacking nothing." We 
are to '^ bring forth fruit with patience ;" " patience 
worketh experience ;" under her soft hand we 
" quietl}^ wait" for all that is the object of hope. 
Indeed, it is '-'through patience and comfort of the 
Scriptures that we have hope." Even Apostles 
*' approved themselves as ministers of God in much 
patience." ''Truly the signs of an Apostle were 
wrought among you in all patience." It seems, 
then, that an Apostle could not be known as such 
without the finish of her wonderful hand ; without 
it both he and his signs would be rejected as 
spurious. Strength too, it would seem, must be per- 
fected by patience, for we are " strengthened with 
all might, according to his glorious power, unto 
all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness." 
Strength is not only no substitute for patience, but 
in some cases ib is useless without patience. Samp- 
son had strength enough to subdue all the Philis- 
tines, but he had not patience enough to bear the 



CIIRTSTTAN PROGRESSION. 250 

teasing of Delilnb : strength was very important 
in a contest with the Philistines, bnt it was useless 
in a contest with Delilah. Supported by patience 
and faith the Thessalonians conquered all their per- 
secutors ; hence Paul says, " we ourselves glory in 
you in the churches of God, for your patience and 
faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that 
ye endure.'' Their patience and faith stood side 
by side, and bore them safe through a sea of perse- 
cution and tribulation. In 1 Tim. vi. 11, we find 
righteousness, godliness^ faith, love, patience, and 
meekness united, and Timothy is exhorted to " fol- 
low after" them. Here is a glorious troop, a kind 
of body-guard, that would keep Timothy safe in the 
midst of the greatest perils. Indeed it is " through 
faith and patience" that we are to " inherit the 
promises." The same authority says : ''Ye have 
need of patience, that, after ye have done the will 
of God, ye might receive the promise." So then, 
we can neither do the will of God, nor inherit the 
promises of God, without patience/ Truly, Paul, 
you may well say, "ye have need of patience." 
''Let us run with patience the race set before us." 
Truly, patience is " a friend that sticketh closer 
than a brother," when we run, as well as when we 
suffer. From Rev. i. 9, we learn that patience was 
the companion of John and others in their tribula- 
tions. And, finally, we are told that the good being 
himself, is "the God of patience." 

We may now safely conclude, we think, that 
patience is essential to Christian progress ; without 
her it is not possible to "run the race that is set 



POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

before us," especially when we are called to pass 
through the valley of Bochim, where the journey is 
long and lonely, and the burden presses heav3\ 
Here it is that we must add patience ; and here it 
is that she must ''have her perfect work." It was 
while passing through this dreary valley that she 
was the most intimate companion of the holy 
Apostle John : and very lovely does she appear in 
this valley, close by the side of love, with meekness 
and long-suffering upon her left hand. With such 
companions, it is always safe to travel this valley, 
nay, it is profitable, so much so, that by the time 
the pilgrim passes through the entire valley, ac- 
companied by these four excellent companions, faith 
leading the way, and searching out the land, he is 
sure to be *' perfect and entire, wanting nothing." 

But, to do away with figure, what is this patience 
of which such excellent things are spoken? The 
Greek word is 'vTro/itj^rw, from *iJ7tco, under, and ^tavco, to 
remain. Patience then, or the patient Christian, re- 
mains under the cross, in other words, under all the 
burdens incident to the Christian life, without com- 
plaining, never saying, '' I neither can nor will bear 
it any longer," for such Christians both can and do 
bear the burdens of life, whether the time be long 
or short, till God releases them from the last burden, 
saying, "• 'tis enough ;" then, and not till then, are 
they heard to say with the good and patient old 
Simeon, '' Now let thy servant depart in peace, 
according to thy word, for mine ej^es have seen thy 
salvation." Unsupported by patience, the burdens 
of life kill, "the sorrow of this world worketh 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 261 

death ;" but supported by Christian patience, which 
always springs from faith, as we have already 
shown, these burdens are borne with meekness and 
cheerfulness ; nor do they injure at all, but '' work 
together for good ;" so that the patient traveller 
journeys on, waxing stronger and stronger, singing 
as he goes : — 

" Vain, delusive world adieu, 

With all of creature good : 
Only Jesus I pursue, 

Who bought me with his blood : 
All thy pleasures I forego ; 

I trample on thy wealth and pride ; 
Only Jesus will I know, 

And Jesus crucified." 

Again, methinks, I hear these patient pilgrims 
sing, right in the depths of the Yalley of Bochim: — 

^* Here fierce temptations beset me around, 

Yet I am blest, I am blest. 
Here I must weep while my foes me surround, 

Yet I am blest, I am blest. 
Let them revile me, and scoff at my name ; 
Laugh at my weeping, endeavor to shame, 
I will go forward, for this is my theme, 

There, there is rest, there is rest." 

Let no one attempt to confound this Ghristian 
patience with stupid unfeeling stoicism, it is as 
different therefrom as is light from darkness. It is 
not the stubborn resolution, or the indifference of 
the stoic, neither is it the dull endurance of the ox 
or the camel, mere natural fortitude : no, it is one 
of the Christian graces, and is only found in con- 



202 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

nection with faith in Jesus, the faith that justifies, 
that saves. Nor is it possible for Christian pro- 
gression to continue without it. Without it, sour 
discontent will spring up and corrode the very vitals 
of the soul; or senseless levity will be substituted 
for Christian cheerfulness, and will kill the last 
vital principle of the Christian life. Then God and 
heaven will be forgotten, and this present world 
will be loved and sought, and this alone ! Hear, 
then, ye Christians, the exhortation of the holy 
Apostle, and obey it, by adding to the previous 
graces Patience; and, to this end, ''Give all dili- 
gence." Then you, too, will continue the glorious 
Christian progression, and unite with the holy 
company in singing the pilgrim's song, even in the 
valley of Bochim. 



CHAPTER X. 

Add Godliness. Both action, and inaction, may result either 
from knowledge or ignorance. Hence there may be some- 
thing very like courage, or patience, when there is no 
Godliness — Godliness results from a knowledge of God, 
and faith in God — Godliness consists in doing and suffering 
in the spirit of devotion to God. In other words, doing 
because God has commanded, or not doing, because he 
has forbidden — Calmet's definition of Godliness — Godliness 
in practice, is to imitate God in every thing — Godliness in 
character is to be like God — cvcrePeia^ always has reference 
to God — Parkhurst is quoted — No act can be acceptable 
to God that is not Godly ; various arguments are employed 
to prove this, also, to show the necessity of adding Godli- 
ness just here. 

And, if you would continue thus to progress, 
you must be careful to Add Godliness. That is, 
dOf and suffer^ every thing in the spirit of devotion 
to God. It is thus that the Christian is distin- 
guished from the mere philosopher, so called, as 
well as from the stoic and the infidel. The latter 
do and suffer uncomplainingly, it may be, not in 
the spirit of humble devotion to God, but because 
it would be unphilosophical^ unmanly , not to do 
so. This may be called fortitude^ but is not Chris- 
tian fortitude ; it is not godliness. Wirz had forti- 
ade, or something like it, but he certainly had not 

263 



264 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

godliness. Either action, or inaction, may be the 
result of ignorance, or the result of knowledge : 
I may fear where no fear is, or I may not fear when I 
should fear : I may not place confidence where 
I should, or I may place confidence where I should 
not : but my trepidation in the one case, and my 
intrepidation in the other, are equally the result 
of ignorance; and those who are as ignorant as 
myself, may give me credit for both prudence and 
fortitude : 3^et all was the result of ignorance, and 
must, consequently, be very different from Christian 
prudence, and Christian courage, which result from 
Christion knowledge, and Christian faith, not from 
ignorance and unbelief. It is equally certain that 
what results from ignorance, whether action or 
non-action, confidence or fear, cannot be godli- 
ness ; but is, I apprehend, ungodliness ; for godli- 
ness results from a knowledge of God, and faith in 
God; while the other particulars result from the 
very reverse of these, viz., ignorance and unbelief. 
Godly acts, are intelligent acts; and consist in 
doing what God has commanded, and that because 
he has commanded it ; and in not doing what he 
has forbidden, and that because he has forbidden 
it ; and all this believingly, cheerfully, lovingly. 
This is Godliness : and this is what we are to 
add to all the previous graces. That is, let your 
courage, your knowledge, your temperance, and 
your patience, all be Godly. '^ Whether you eat or 
drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of 
God." Do not ''sacrifice to your own net, and 
burn incense to your own drag:'^ do not say. 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 265 

'^ mj^ power, and the might of my hand hath 
gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember 
the Lord thy God : for it is he that giveth thee 
power to get wealth " Therefore say continualh', 
'' Not unto us, Lord, not unto us, but unto th}'' 
name give glory, for thy merc}^, and for thy truth's 
sake." This is godliness, and ever}^ thing short of 
this, is ungodliness, nay, it is idolatry, for it is 
giving to the creature what belongs to God. And, 
let it be distinctly noticed, all your .offerings must 
be through Jesus, for it is only through him that 
our offerings, and ourselves, can be acceptable to 
God. Therefore, '^ whatsoever ye do in word or 
deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, ^livino: 
thanks to God and the Father by liim." Nothing 
short of this is Christian godliness. And the act 
that is not thus godly ^ cannot be pleasing to God, 
nor can he accept it. 

Calmet's definition of this word is worthy of 
notice here : " Godly, that which proceeds from 
God, and is pleasing to him ; it also signifies con- 
formity to his will, and an assimilation to his char- 
acter." (See his Dictionaiy.) This is an excellent 
definition ; and what is here said of godliness, is 
true of every thing in genuine religion. Indeed, 
every thing that proceeds from God, is like him, so 
far as its nature will admit of such likeness; and' 
its design and tendencies are to lead to God. You 
may be well assured, that whatever has not these 
characteristics, is not of God. All that comes from 
God to man, is characterized by Godlike wisdom, 
goodness, truthfulness, and holiness ; and is both 

23 



266 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

designed and calculated to lead man to God. And 
the religious system or principle that has not these 
characteristics, is not of God. It is true that there 
have been, and still are, many attempts to imitate 
God, to counterfeit what comes from God ; and 
while some of these are very clumsy attempts, there 
are others which, to the superficial observer, may 
appear as genuine ; but, upon closer observation, 
they will be found entirely destitute of the two 
grand characteristics, namely, likeness and tendency 
to God. History shows that all erroneous religious 
systems and principles have led from God, not to 
him ; and, whatever might be their appearance to 
the superficial observer, they really were not like 
God ; they had not the stamp of his wisdom, good- 
ness, truthfulness, holiness. Botii they and their 
votaries were destitute of godliness, or godlikeness. 
Those who have carefully examined God's account 
of himself, as given in the Scriptures, will easily 
discover that the various anti-scriptural systems 
and principles of this, or an}^ other age, or country, 
are entirely destitute of a likeness to the account 
which he has given of himself and of his govern- 
ment. Nor is it diflScult to see that the same prin- 
ciples and systems are designed to lead from the 
Creator to the creature. For instance, it is easy to 
see that every thing in Popery points and leads to 
the creature. .The mind of the worshipper is con- 
stantly directed to the departed saint, the living 
priest, the lifeless image, and the senseless cere- 
mony. All this is ungodly y essentially so ; and 
must be hateful to God, and ruinous to man 5 for 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 2CT 

its sole tendency is, to lead from the Creator to the 
creature. Hence, as it did not proceed from God, 
it has not the stamp of his wisdom, goodness, 
truthfulness, and holiness. On the contrary, the 
grand characteristics of the whole are folly ^ bad- 
ness, falsehood, and sinfulness. Other systems and 
principles, though not so obviously ungodly, are, 
nevertheless, equally so. Such are all systems 
which do not point man to God in Christ for all 
good — for pardon, holiness, and heaven. They are 
all ungodly, and lead from God. But the godly 
teacher, and the godly teaching, constantly say, 
'• Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh awa}^ the 
sins of the world !'' This is Christianity ; this is 
Christian progression. Christian progression is 
alwaj'S to God in Christ; retrogression is always 
from God — there is no medium. The utmost, or 
farthest departure from God, is the deepest hell. 
The nearest approach to God, is the highest heaven. 
This is to '' see the King in his beauty, in the land 
that is far away." Far away, indeed, from all that 
is low, sinful, evil. This is to see God's face ; to 
see him as he is ; to be like him. To the same 
effect is that sublime prayer of our blessed Saviour, 
''God manifested in the flesh" : ''Father, I will that 
they also, w^hom thou hast given me, be with me 
where I am ; that they may behold my glory which 
thou gavest me." The holy Apostles were per- 
mitted to have a glimpse of this glor}^ while on 
earth, particularly Peter, James, and John, in the 
Holy Mount. Hence, John says, " The word was 
made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his 



268 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

glory, the glory as of tbe only begotten of the 
Father,) full of grace and truth. '^ And even in 
heaven, the approach to the Infinite Majesty is 
through Christ ; and the glory of that Majesty, is 
seen in Christ, as far as it is seeable. '* Father, I 
will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be 
with me where I am; that they may behold my 
glory.'' It follows, that the utmost progress is the 
nearest approach to God, in heaven as well as on 
earth, and this approach, even in heaven, is through 
our blessed Saviour, who is '^ the way, the truth, 
and the life,'' even there ! 

Godliness in practice, is to imitate God in every 
thing; — "But I say unto 3'ou, love your enemies, 
bless them that curse you, do good to them that 
hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use 
you, and persecute you ; that 3'e may be the children 
of your Father which is in heaven : for he maketh 
his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and 
sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." Those 
who thus imitate God, are godly ; they are like their 
Father in heaven. Godliness is also a moral like- 
ness to God, — '' Be ye therefore holy, for I the Lord 
your God am holy." This is to be "partakers of 
his holiness," " partakers of the divine nature," and 
therefore, to be like God, or godlike. Then God 
sees and loves his own image in the human soul : 
then shall Christ " see of the traA^ail of his soul, 
and shall be satisfied ;" and then too, shall his peo- 
ple " be satisfied, when they awake with his like- 
ness," the likeness to God in which they were 
originally created, and in which they are now 



CHRISTIAN PROORESSrOX. 269 

'^created anew iii Christ Jesus. '^ God and bis peo- 
ple are now satisfied, the former, because he has 
restored what was lost, the latter, because they have 
received hack Vv^hat was lost. Nothing short of this 
moral assimilation to God, can produce this mutual 
satisfaction of the created and the Infinite Mind. 
And this is godliness^ perfect godliness. 

Finally, we beg to remind the reader, that the 
word fu(jf|3tta, translated godliness, always has 
reference to God : and when it is used as the desig- 
nation of certain acts, it always means such acts as 
have God for their object ; acts of piety, acts of 
devotion to God. And as it includes that holiness 
of nature from which such acts spring, the moral 
nature of God, and that of the holj^ worshipper, it 
follows, that it is a verj^ comprehensive word. It 
means, saj^s Parkhurst, " godliness, or the whole of 
true religion ; so named, because piety towards 
God is the foundation and principal part of it. See 
Heb. xi. 6 ; Matt. xxii. 37, 38 ; 1 Tim. iv. 7, 8 ; vi. 6. 
Comp. 1 Tim. iii. 16." In short, it means all that 
is morallj^ good in your courage, your temperance^ 
3'Our pjatience : all that is morally good in your 
heart and in your life. In other words, all your 
acts and tempers are good and acceptable, only so 
far as they are godly. The word being now under- 
stood, any one can see the imp)ortance, and feel 
the force of the exhortation, ''add godliness," espe- 
cially here, where there is so much danger of j^our 
abounding activities lacking this essential qualitj^ 
Godliness ! 

28* 



CHAPTER XI. 

Add brotherly kindness. Your duty to God will not substitute 
for your duty to your brother — God will not allow the 
creature to take his place, nor will he take the place of tho 
creature — Love is varied both by its subject and object — 
God will not accept your gifts, if you have no gift for your 
brother — He who loveth God, loveth his brother also — He 
hates who does not love — Both the subject and object of this 
love must be a brother — The difference between kindness 
and brotherly kndness — A striking illustration — God alone 
can make a brotherhood, men may assume, or give the name 
but they cannot impart what that name imports — Each 
preceding grace is essential to that which follows — This 
order must not be broken ; to progress, you must make each 
addition in its place. 

But having made all these additions, do not 
suppose that Christian progression ends hei^. Not 
so. Just here you must add brotherly kindness. 
Do not suppose that j^oui' duty to God is a substi- 
tute for your duty to your fellow. It \va.>^ this 
mistake that led men to flee to the desert, and 
become monks and hermits; and in this way they 
soon became as destitute of godUness as they were 
of brotherly kindness. The Christian graces go 
together, support each other, and will not be 
divorced : no one of them can live alone : united 
they live ; separated they die. God will not allow 

the creature to take his place in your heart, nor 
270 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 211 

will he take the place of the creature. Godliness 
does not exclude brotherly kindness, nor does 
brotherl}^ kindness exclude godliness. On the con- 
trary, these graces mutually support and increase 
each other. These graces exist in the heart, or are 
absent from it, in reciprocal proportion. *' If a 
man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is 
a liar. For he that lovtth not his brother, whom 
he hath seen, how can he love God, whom he hath 
not seen ? And this commandment have we from 
him. That he who loveth God, loveth his brother 
also." Brotherly love is simply a modification of 
that love which has God for its object, for love may 
be varied hy its object as well as by its subject: 
and the gift of this love may be called brotherly 
kindness, when a brother is the recipient of that 
gift. But when God is the object of this love, it is 
not thus modified ; his infinite perfections, and his 
munificent and unmerited gifts, call forth this love 
as no other object can ; — ''We love him because he 
first loved us.'' But although God is loved in 
unlimited measure and fervor, the brother is not 
excluded from his place ; on the contrary, brotherly 
love, or kindness, increases, by a kind of refiection, 
just in proportion as love for God increases. My 
loving God with all my heart, does not hinder me 
from loving my neighbor as myself, nor from loving 
my brother with a brotherly love ; indeed, the latter 
is the necessar}^ result of the former; for the love 
that embraces God, embraces the family of God. 
If a man should profess to love me while he hated 
my familv, I should not believe his profession, 



2^2 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

especially if I knew that my family were deserving 
of his love. And just so it is, precisely, that God 
treats such a profession, as is clearly seen in the 
quotations given above. To the same effect is the 
following : — '^ Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to 
the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother 
hath aught against thee, leave there thy gift before 
the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to 
thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.'' 
You may offer your gifts to God, but if jou have 
no gifts for your brother, no brotherly kindness, 
God will not accept of j'-our gifts : hence 3^ou are as 
destitute of godliness as you are of brotherl}^ kind- 
ness. If ^^ thy brother hath aught against thee," 
(and he certainly has, if you have no brotherly 
kindness,) God also has a charge, against thee ; he 
unites his charge with that of the injured brother, 
and till you are reconciled to your brother you 
cannot be reconciled to God : — ^' Yerily, I sa}^ unto 
you, inasmuch as 3^e have done it unto one of the 
least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto 
me.'' Again, '^ Verily I say unto you, inasmuch 
as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it 
not to me. And these shall go awaj^ into everlast- 
ing punishment : but the righteous into life eternal.'' 
It is clear, then, that godliness and brotherlj^ kind- 
ness are inseparable, and that where the latter is 
not, neither is the former. Away, then, with your 
monkish nonsense, which would separate godliness 
from, or substitute it for, brotherly kindness. When 
you separate yourself from your brother you sep- 
arate yourself from God: — '* These be they who 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 213 

separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit." 
God has not a place for you, either in heaven or on 
earth, where you ma}^ as his children, live separate 
from his children. God's house is not thus divided 
against itself: no, that which separates you from 
God's children, separates you from God himself; 
and that which unites you to God, unites you to 
his people 1 '' He that hath an ear let him hear" 
these teachings of the Holy Spirit ! Have zeal for 
God, but let it be " according to knowledge ;" see 
that brotherly kindness is added to your godliness, 
and never dream that you can have the one without 
the other, for you cannot ; any more than you can 
have matter without figure, or fire without heat, or 
a sun without light, or design without a designer, 
or thought without a thinking agent ; or any other 
thing without its essential property ; for brotherly 
kindness is an essential property of the godliness 
here specified. '' This commandment have we from 
him, that he who loveth God, loveth his brother 
also." *' If a man say, I love God, and hateth his 
brother, he is a liar. For he that loveth not his 
brother, whom he hath seen, how can he love God, 
whom he hath not seen ?" Who is he, then, who 
undertakes to do this impossible thing, and at the 
same time, to make the command of God of none 
efiect ? I answer, that man who professes, or tries, 
to be godly, while destitute of brotherly kindness ; 
who professes to love God, while he hates his 
brother, that is, does not love him, for there is no 
medium between hatred and love : he hates who does 
not love. Hatred, like love, may have its degrees; 



274 rowEii WITH god and with men. 

but the proper object of love must be hated in some 
measure, if it is not loved at all. 

It should be remembered, however, that brotherly 
love, or kindness, must have a brother for its object, 
as well as for its subject. It is as true in the 
spiritual, as it is in the natural order, that I cannot 
love as a brother, if I am not a brother. I say I 
cannot: I may, and should, have a feeling of kind- 
ness, but it is not brotherly kindness, if I am not a 
brother. I cannot have feelings of brotherly kind- 
ness before I am a brother, any more than I can 
have humane feelings, before I have the human 
nature. For the same reason I cannot love as a 
brother , one who is not a brother ; I cannot have 
feelings of brotherly kindness for one who is not 
a brother. It were absurd in the extreme, to require 
me to have the very same feelings of affection, the 
same brotherly kindness, for the son of an unknown 
woman, that I have for my brother, the son of my 
mother. I may, and should have feelings of kind- 
ness for such a man, and these feelings will be in- 
creased by a further knowledge of his amiable quali- 
ties ; but the sight or death of my own brother will 
stir feelings away down in the depths of my nature, 
as they are not, and cannot be stirred by the sight 
or death of that stranger. For the same reason, 
the laws, both of God and man, require me to act 
toward a brother as they do not require me to act 
toward any other being. As illustrative of this 
truth, let us suppose a case. See that fine mansion ; 
and see that old man, wear}'- and wayworn, as with 
trembling steps he approaches the door. It is cold, 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 275 

and his garments are scant}'' and torn. The bell is 
rung, and at its call a well-dressed and fine-looking 
lady opens the door, and is thus briefl}^ addressed 
by the wayworn stranger, " Madam, I am hungry 
and cold, and am not able to go farther; will you 
allow me shelter in your house for the night ?'' The 
good lady takes him b}^ the hand, leads him to one 
of her comfortable rooms, causes him to be stripped, 
washed, and clothed. He is then fed with food 
convenient for him; he is invited to bow with the 
family in the devotions of the evening; and, finally, 
he is led to a comfortable bedroom, where he rests 
in peace, and- is refreshed, body and soul. In the 
morning, the good woman shows him similar kind- 
ness, and after worship and breakfast, she opens 
the door for his departure, slips a sum of money 
into his hand, and bids him good morning, never 
again expecting to see him in this world. Xow, her 
conscience approves of her conduct toward this old 
man ; and the word of God adds its stamp of ap- 
proval ; and her neighbors admire and praise her 
truly Christian hospitality ; and who does not ? 
But suppose that, upon opening the door, she dis- 
covered that this wayworn old man was none other 
than her own brother; yes, her brother Edwin, with 
whom, long, long ago, she was wont to play in her 
father's lawn, and repose on her mother's lap. 
Yes, this same Edwin, after so many years, and 
after strange reverses of fortune, now unexpectedly 
stands before her, a wayw^orn old man, trembling 
with cold, weary with his journey, faint with hun- 
ger, and weary of life ! Now, suppose she should 



27 G POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

receive this same Edwin, knowing him to be her 
brother, and treat him with all the kindness we have 
supposed in the former case, and then in the morn- 
ing, coolly send him away, never again expecting to 
see her brother Edwin in this world ; would her 
neighbors, and the word of God, to say nothing 
about her conscience, approve of, and praise her 
conduct in this instance ? No, they would all con- 
demn her, and so would her conscience, if she had 
any. Why so? Simply because the stranger was 
entitled to kindness, and he had it ; but the brother 
was entitled to brotherly kindness, and he had it 
not. The fact is, however, a woman who would 
treat a stranger as we have supposed, could not 
possibly treat a brother in the same way. No, the 
first sight of her own brother Edwin would rouse a 
sister's feelings, which a sister could not control, 
and for which she was neither to be praised nor 
blamed : but the extent to which she might culti- 
vate, or destro}^, such feelings, would be just cause 
for praise or blame. It is certain, however, we 
think, that most sisters, or brothers, would never 
allow poor unfortunate Edwin to leave that rich 
mansion till he should be carried to his resting- 
place in the city of the dead : and we are sure none 
would, who would add to their godliness brotherly 
kindness. 

Let it be well observed then, that a brother is 
entitled to brotherly kindness, and he only. And 
let it also be well observed, that none but a brother 
can impart brotherly kindness, for he only has it 
to impart, and none can give what they do not jjos- 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 2t7 

sess. I maj, and should show kindness to a horse, 
much kindness ; and, if I mistake not, I have had 
horses, and dogs too, which have manifested much 
kindness toward me ; but in all this there was no 
hnjlJierly kindness, and could not be. Whj- ? 
Because we were not brothers, and could not be. 
Now, I rejoice to know, and believe, that there is a 
sense in which all men are brothers : but I also 
believe, that there is a sense, a very important sense, 
in which all men are not brothers ; and, conse- 
quenth^, a sense in which all men have not brotherly 
kindness for each other ; and never will till in a 
corresponding sense they are brothers. And in 
that sense God alone can make them brothers, either 
natural brothers, or spiritual brothers. Neither 
legal documents, so-called, nor mathematical instru- 
ments, nor monastic vows, nor priestly ceremonies, 
nor Jesuitical combinations, nor inquisitorial tribu- 
nals, nor Pharisaic righteousness, can make men 
brothers ; neither can all of them put together, nor 
an 3^ thing else that man can do. There are but 
two ways in which human beings are constituted 
brothers, viz : by a natural, and by a spiritual birth. 
The former arc born of the flesh, the latter of the 
Spirit ; the former are a brotherhood having a man 
for their parent, the latter are a brotherhood having 
God for their parent ; and by this birth they have 
mutual brotherly affections which nothing else can 
possibly give them. After this birth, brotherly 
kindness may be vastly increased by proper cultiva- 
tion and the grace of God ; or it msij be partially 
impaired, or wholly destroyed, by sin: but to ex- 
24 



278 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

pect this brotherly kindness without the hirthj is 
like expecting a crop without the seed ; to expect a 
spiritual brotherhood, without a spiritual birth, is 
like expecting a human family without the human 
nature. — '' Yerily, verily, I say unto thee, except a 
man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of 

God." ^'Yerily, verily, I say unto thee, 

except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, 
he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That 
which is born of the flesh, is flesh ; and that which 
is born of the Spirit, is spirit. Marvel not that I 
said unto thee, ye must be born again." Men may 
assume or give the name, but they cannot impart 
what that name imports ; and it imports something 
without which no son or daughter of Adam can see 
or enter the kingdom of God. If God has any 
other way of constituting the children of men 
brothers, with brotherly kindness, he certainly has 
not revealed it. And to give or receive the name 
without the thing which that name imports, is like 
the practice of those maniacs who give or receive 
the titles of kings and princes, while they are 
absolutely destitute of all that such titles imply. 
Hence, as we observed at the very outstart, the 
Apostle addresses this exhortation '* to them that 
have obtained like precious faith with us through 
the righteousness of God our Saviour Jesus Christ." 
He does not exhort unbelievers to add these things, 
for they have not the faith to which all these things 
are to be added, just as all the stones in a building 
are to be added to the foundation. He who under- 
takes to add these things before he is justified by 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 2t9 

faith, undertakes to build without a foundation. 
This is the error of the Pharisee ; and the things he 
substitutes for these things are like wood^ hay, stub- 
ble, which will be consumed in the day of the Lord. 
" Every man's work shall be made manifest : for the 
day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by 
fire ; and the fire shall try every man's work, of 
what sort it is ;" and nothing will stand the test of 
that fire but the things here specified. With these 
things the three Hebrew children were fire-proof 
even in Nebuchadnezzar's furnace, but wood, hay, 
and stubble, would have offered little resistance to 
that sevenfold heat ; and the inventions of men shall 
offer still less resistance to the fire that shall try 
their work in the great and terrible day of the Lord, 
when ^'the fire shall try every man's work of what 
sort it is." 

Once more. Let it be well observed, that in 
this divine summary of the Christian graces, each 
following grace is added to that which went 
before, and which, consequently, previously existed ; 
whether b}^ this is meant the addition of the 
entire specification, or that of a larger measure 
of it, the fact is the same. — Thus, courage is added 
to faith, which is the basis upon which the whole 
column rests; while faith itself rests upon the 
atonement. And knowleds^e is added to couras^e, 
and temperance to knowledge ; patience to temper- 
ance, godliness to patience, and brotherly kindness 
to godliness. Hence, the existence of each pre- 
ceding grace, is* essential to the existence of that 
which follows. Neither one can precede the fore- 



280 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

going in the sense in which we are here exhorted 
to make the addition. This divine order demands' 
strict attention, for it is the order in which Chris- 
tian progression is conducted, and it is essential 
to its continuance. For instance ; under certain' 
circumstances I may be very willing to add know- 
ledge, temperance, or patience ; but may not be 
so willing to add godliness ; or I may be willing 
to add godliness, in my wa}^ of thinking, but may 
not be at all willing to add brotherly kindness ; but 
I cannot choose and reject in this way ; God's 
order will not be reversed and thrown into confu- 
sion in this way ; and if I do not add brotherly 
kindness, progression will terminate just here. 
Neither can I retain my previous position ; for, 
in the absence of brotherly kindness, all the pre- 
ceding graces must languish and die, it may be, 
by almost insensible degrees. And just in this 
way, it is, I apprehend, that thousands backslide. 
Let us, then, carefully observe the divine order, 
and make every addition in its proper place, and 
that with promptness and earnestness ; for, to hesi- 
tate, in a single instance, when the peculiar addi- 
tion is called for, particularly that of brotherly 
kindness, to hesitate, I say, may result in a conclu- 
sion not to make the addition ; and then retrogres- 
sion immediately takes place, for there is no such 
thing as standing still : onward or backward, is 
the fixed unalterable law. And if you have i3ro- 
gressed thus far, and an addition of brotherly 
kindness is called for just here, and it is called 
for, even by the progress you have made, then 



CIIUISTIAN rROQRESSION. 281 

make the addition, with promptness and fuU-heart- 
edness, and you have passed the point of danger ; 
and have only to spread your sails to catch the 
increasing heavenly gale, which will carry you with 
increased and increasing speed directly towards 
the port of glory 

24* 



CHAPTER XII. 

Add Love^ which takes a much wider range than brotherly kind- 
ness. How Peter was led to make this addition, and how his 
other graces were increased thereby — Had he not made this 
addition here, he would have progressed no further, but would 
have backslidden, as many do just at this point — A striking 
resemblance between Peter and John Wesley at this point — 
How they and others continued to be a power, while others 
ceased to be a power — There is nothing that will substitute 
for this love — A striking incident in illustration — The 
addition of love is shown to be absolutely necessary. 

After this you may have fair sailing for a time, 
wind and tide being both in your favor ; but do not 
suppose that no further addition is to be made, or 
that between you and the distant port there is no 
other point of danger. I^ot so : the fisherman of 
Galilee had a very different experience, and accord- 
ingly, gives very different advice. Here it is : — 
And to brotherly kindness add love. Peter had a 
goodly measure of this excellent grace, brotherly 
kindness, before he had the vision in the house of 
" one Simon a tanner, by the sea-side ;'' but he was 
not so well supplied with that thing called love. This 
takes a much wider range than brotherly kindness. 
The latter extended very readily to his brethren in 
Judea, who were Christians of the stock of Abra- 
ham ; but it did not extend to the " unclean'^ 
282 



. CHRTSTTAN PROGRESSTON. 283 

creatures who were far off among the Gentiles — 
these were not the proper objects of ^'brotherly 
kindness;" and Peter, the Jew, though now a 
Christian, will leave these unclean creatures where 
they are, and as they are, unless love is added to 
his brotherly kindness. And unless this is done, 
he will backslide, as sure as he lives. Yes, he will 
surely backslide, unless he carries the Gospel to 
the perishing Gentiles ; and this he will not do, un- 
less love is added. We have known a great many 
who actually did backslide, just at this point; and 
all will, who do not add love just here, and that in 
sufficient quantity to carry them far hence to the 
Gentiles. To make this addition was no eas}^ mat- 
ter in the case of Peter. His Jev/ish ignorance and 
prejudices had to be removed, and his judgment 
corrected. To do this, God employed the singular 
vision recorded in the tenth chapter of the Acts of 
the Apostles, and to which it is only necessar}^ to 
refer, it being well known. But, what deserves 
special notice, is the fact, that his Christian pro- 
gression was continued in precisely the same way 
that is marked out in the Scripture under con- 
sideration. He had faith, and, in short, all the 
other particulars ; but thej^ must all be increased, 
and increased now ; and that by making additions 
as here directed. His knowledge was increased, 
especially, by adding this important truth, viz : that 
'' God is no respecter of persons ; but, in every 
nation, he that feareth God, and worketh righteous- 
ness, is accepted of him." Nor had he this increase 
of knowledge, till he added sufficient courage to 



284 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

enable him to go with the three strangers, and enter 
into the midst of those Gentiles who, in the vision, 
had been represented to him by a variety of un- 
clean and dangerous creatures. Nor can we doubt 
that this required considerable courage, especially 
when we take into the account his previous views, 
and the opposition, the conscientious opposition, 
that he knew he would have to meet with from his 
own countrymen, and even from his own Christian 
brethren. His temperance, too, underwent quite ' 
change. Hitherto, his feelings and views, and, 
consequently, his conduct toward the Gentiles, 
were very intemperate, and even superstitious. 
But now he is wonderfully changed in all these 
particulars. His godliness, too, is vastly in- 
creased. He now feels, and thinks, and acts, more 
like God, than he ever did before. His brotherly 
kindness, also, is wonderfully increased. It now 
extends to all who fear God and work righteous- 
ness, even among the Gentiles ; and still more to 
those who are made partakers of like precious faith 
with himself I presume he has now as much 
brotherly kindness for the Gentile as for the Jewish 
Christians. And he evidently has a degree of love 
that he never had before. And this increase of 
love so swells his old Jewish heart, that it embraces 
the entire Gentile world. Hence, he preaches just 
as well in Cesarea as he did in Jerusalem, and with 
similar effect. And, what wonderfully surprised, 
and equally delighted, the honest fisherman, was 
the fact, that he thus records, in answer to those 
who *^ contended with him, saying, Thou wentest 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 285 

ill to men uncircumcisecl, and didst eat with 

them.'' 

After relating how God led him to do so, and 

also stating what he preached, he adds, " And as I 
began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them as 
upon ns at the beginning. Then remembered I the 
word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed 
baptized with water ; but ye shall be baptized with 
the Holy Ghost. Forasmuch then as God gave 
them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed 
on the Lord Jegus Christ, wdiat was I, that I could 
withstand God. When they heard these things 
tho}^ held their peace and glorified God, saying, 
then liath God also to the Gentiles granted re- 
pentance unto life." See what good resulted from 
the Christian progression of one man ! To him- 
self and others, both Jews and Gentiles, in Joppa, 
in Cesarea, in Jerusalem, and elsewhere ; and 
the good results continue to this day. Had not 
Peter added courage, by which he obe3^ed the 
divine command, followed the leadings of provi- 
dence, went and preached to the Gentiles, and thus 
made glorious additions to all his Christian graces, 
he would have progressed no further, but would 
have remained in Joppa, and, it may be, have died 
there a backslider. how many remain at Joppa, 
when they should go on to Cesarea and preach the 
gospel to the perishing Gentiles ! Nor is there any 
remedy for this sore evil, but that here recom- 
mended by this same Peter ; make all these addi- 
tions as here directed, and especiallj^ add love^ 
without which you will never go and preach the 



280 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

gospel to those perishing creatures who were repre- 
sented to Peter by what he saw in the sheet : a sight 
that will frighten any one that has not a large and 
increasing amount of faith, courage, knowledge, 
temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, 
and LOVE ! It will be seen, too, that by continuing 
to progress, Peter continued to be a power. His 
day of power did not end with the day of Pentecost ; 
no, he was the same man of power in Cesarea that 
he had been in Jerusalem. And that power pro- 
duced among the Gentiles the very same effects 
that it produced among the Jews. Now, I ask, 
would this have been the case if he had disobeyed 
the divine call and remained at Joppa when he was 
ordered to Cesarea? To this question there is but 
one answer, and that is no. And he certainly 
would have remained there, would not have went 
to Cesarea, had he not made the necessary additions 
as above stated, without the necessary faith, cour- 
age, knowledge, godliness, and love; he would not, 
he could not, have went on that mission ; and he 
could have offered as good reasons for not going, 
as those which are offered b}^ thousands as an ex- 
cuse for similar disobedience. But their excuses 
do not alter the fact, viz : that they remain at Joppa 
while men like Peter go on to Cesarea. The result 
is, of course, that the latter progress and continue 
to be a power, while the former backslide and be- 
come powerless, like other men. It must be so ; it 
positivel}^ cannot be otherwise ; the contrary suppo- 
sition is downright antinomianisni ! ye who are 
at Joppa when ye should be at Cesarea, lounging 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 281 

and sleeping away your time at the house of some 
friend by the sea-side, when you should be preach- 
ing the gospel to the perishing Gentiles ; hear the 
call of God before it be too late ; hark, it comes even 
to you. '' Rise, Peter ! Behold three men seek thee. 
Arise, therefore, and get thee down, and go with 
them, nothing doubting : for I have sent them." 
Yes, God calls ; ''the Master calleth for thee ;" the 
perishing Gentiles call for thee, and men are even 
now at thy door imploring help ; and God says : 
" Go with them, nothing doubting : for I have sent 
them.-' It is folly, worse than folly, for you to 
dream and talk about power, till 3^ou obey that call. 
If you are in Joppa when you should be in Cesarea, 
you may remain there, talking about power, and 
about entire sanctification, till the last trumpet 
sounds ; but you will talk, yea, and pray in vain, 
till you obey that call. God says : '' What doest 
thou here Elijah ?'' or the Spirit says, as he did to 
Peter, '' Arise, go !" and unless you do as he com- 
mands, you may talk ever so prettily about *' power, 
holiness, entire sanctification, and men of power,'' 
but the first power that will reach you will be the 
power that punishes the disobedient. God save us 
from that power, and, to that end, save us from dis- 
obedience. 

The fact, that there is a striking resemblance 
between the case of Peter and that of John Wesley, 
deserves a passing notice just here. Peter, even 
after his conversion, was so controlled by prejudices 
resulting from the erroneous teachings of Scribes 
iind Pharisees, that he would not go in unto the 



288 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

Gentiles and preach the Gospel unto them, till God 
corrected his judgment, and increased his love, as 
stated above. Just so it was with John Wesley, 
till God corrected and qualified him as he did Peter. 
In reference to this fact, Mr. Wesley makes the 
following record.—'' Saturda^r, March 31, 1839. In 
the evening I reached Bristol, and met Mr. White- 
field there. I could scarce reconcile m3^self at first 
to this strange waj^ of preaching in the fields, of 
which he set me an example on Sunday ; having 
been all my life (till very lately) so tenacious of 
every point relating to decency and order, that I 
should have thought the saving of souls almost a 
sin, if it had not been done in a church.'^ Just so 
it was with Peter ; he, too, was still adhering to the 
rules of ''decency and order" as laid down by 
Scribes and Pharisees, who had long made the word 
of God of none-effect by their traditions. The Scribes 
and Pharisees of olden times talked largely" and 
loudly about the temple^ the temple ; but would 
leave the Gentiles to perish, unwarned and unpitied. 
Just so the Scribes and Pharisees of later times ; 
they, too, talked largely and loudly about the cJmrch, 
the church ; but, like their ancestors, they, too, 
would leave the poor Gentiles to perish unwarned 
and unpitied ; and all this they called "decency and 
order." What strange ideas Pharisees have of 
*' decency and order !" But the God who delivered 
Peter from this dreadful delusion, also delivered the 
Wesleys, Whitefield, and others. And the result 
was, they became a power for good. The power 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 289 

that was felt in the dwelling of Cornelius in Cesarea, 
was now equall}^ felt in the humble dwellings of the 
poor in England ; and not less so in the streets, the 
highways, and the fields ; while the Scribes and 
Pharisees, as of old, adhered to their own inven- 
tions, boasted of their vast stone buildings, and were 
satisfied with the form without the power. But the 
gospel, which had been excluded from those old gray 
temples, triumphed in the dwellings of the poor, 
in the streets, the lanes, the highways, and the 
fields ; and was felt to be " the power of God unto 
salvation,'' in London and Bristol, just as much so, 
as it had been in Jerusalem and Cesarea, when 
Peter preached it in those places. And why ? 
Because it was again preached by men who followed 
the Lord fullj^ ; men who did not remain at Joppa, 
but went on to Cesarea at the command of the 
Lord ; men who " added to their faith, courage ; and 
to their courage, knowledge ; and to knowledge, 
temperance ; and to temperance, patience ; and to 
patience, godliness ; and to godliness, brotherly 
kindness ; and to brotherly kindness, love^ And, 
observe, others would have been a similar power, 
had they been equally obedient to the heavenly 
calling. But, instead of this, ih^y remained Phari- 
sees, Sadducees, or Herodians ; or having started, 
they continued the progress for a time, and becom- 
ing weary of well-doing, they refused to add love ; 
refused, consequently^, to go on to Cesarea ; sat 
down and fell asleep at Joppa ; and died there 1 
while Wesley and others, went on singing, 

25 



290 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

*' that without a lingering groan, 
I may the welcome word receive; 
My body with my charge lay down, 
And cease at once to work and live." 

Thus, obedient to the heavenly calling, they pur- 
sued their illustrious career, exclaiming, ^' the love 
of Christ constraineth us,'' '' so that from Jerusa- 
lem, and round about unto Illyricum,'' they " fully 
preached the gospel of Christ.'' But those who did 
not add love, were constrained by a very different 
influence ; constrained, not to urge their way 
''through every city and village," like their Master, 
''preaching the gospel," but to settle at Joppa, or 
some other watering place, and there in ease and 
indolence end their days in obscurity. There is 
nothing in the gift of God that will substitute for 
this love ; nothing that will constrain men to live 
and labor as did the Apostles, the Wesleys, White- 
field, and others, but this love : no, nothing. And, 
as Christian progress implies a life of benevolent 
toil for the good of others, and for the glory of 
God ; it is folly to talk about Christian progress, 
unless you add love to all your other attainments ; 
that is, unless you grow in love, as well as know- 
ledge; not "brotherly kindness," but love that ex- 
tends to, and embraces every child of man. With- 
out this your Christian progress must terminate 
just here ; without it further progress is simply im- 
possible. You might as well expect a man to walk 
without feet, or a bird to fly without wings ; as ex- 
pect a man to do the work of a Christian without 
love. The following incident may serve as an illus- 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 291 

t rat ion of this truth. A young man who had been 
brought up in eas}'^ circumstances, and received a 
liberal education, was offered as a candidate for the 
Ministry in the British Conference. The Rev. 
Richard Reece, with whom the writer had the plea- 
sure of being acquainted, and from whom he received 
wholesome counsel when a youth, had some doubts 
about the young man, and thus put him to the test ; 
• — ''Now," said the venerable itinerant, addressing 
himself to the young candidate, ''as a minister 
among us, j^ou will have to travel long journeys, in 
all weathers, by night and by day ; often over bad 
roads, sometimes hungry ; and will have to sleep, 
it may be, in cold houses and damp beds ; and, in 
short, submit to many other inconveniences.'' The 
young man heard all this with profound attention, 
and wisely concluded that he would not be an itine- 
rant : for the special measure of love that always 
accompanies the special call, being wanting, he 
could not do that special work. But, observe, I do 
not say that this love is rendered necessar^^ merely 
by those physical difficulties which accompany the 
work of the Christian : these, doubtless, have their 
influence in keeping men at Joppa when they should 
go on to Cesarea : but this love is morally and ah- 
solutely necessary, as the brotherhood is properlj^, 
and necessarily, the object of ''brotherly kindness ;" 
while the love here spec-fied has God for its object, 
and also the whole human family, not brethren 
merely, whether natural or spiritual. In short, 
there is much of the Christian work that cannot, or 
will not, be performed, when this love is wanting ; 



292 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

and if it were performed, as to the outward act, it 
would not be acceptable to God, not having the 
necessary moral quality. Therefore, to all the pre- 
ceding graces, add love, or your Christian progress 
must terminate just here; and where progression 
terminates, there retrogression commences. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

All "these things" are to be '^ in you," and are the fruit of the 
Spirit — The grand distinction betAveen a Christian and a 
Pharisee — -They are all of grace, yet not without the willing 
co-operation of the subject — All these things being in you, 
they are to abound — Between this and retrogression there 
is no medium — Meaning of the words apyovc, and UKapTrovs 
— These things being in you and abounding, you cannot 
possibly be inactive, and the action is of such a nature that 
fruitfulness must be the result — This action is irresistible, 
bidding defiance to every opposing power — Hence all such 
Christians progress, and are a power — Idleness, inaction, or 
slothfulness, must result from a want of faith^ courage^ or 
love — Faith, courage, and love are the great moving powers j 
those who have them are ready for every good work, making 
tents like Paul ; or, like Jesus, preparing a breakfast for the 
hungry disciples by the sea-shore, when necessary — A 
country inhabited by such a people must be prosperous — 
AH this is confirmed by the facts of history — A point of 
great importance — The Apostle connects all with the know- 
ledge of our Lord Jesus Christ — A man may be idle and un- 
fruitful in the knowledge of Plato, Socrates, and other men 
of fame, but not in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ 
— To have life and power, we must be connected with Jesus 
in the way specified by the Apostle, for no other being has 
either life or power to give to man. 

But having made all these additions, what then ? 
Has Christian progression now reached its utmost 

25* 293 



294 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

limit ? So far from this, the Apostle conveys the 
idea that you will now progress with a rapidity 
which was hitherto rendered impossible by the im- 
perfect development of ^''our intellectual and moral 
character. Hear him. '' If these things be in you, 
and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be 
barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord 
Jesus Chrisf Observe, all these things are in you. 
Here is the first grand characteristic of a genuine 
Christian, and that by which he is essentially dis- 
tinguished from a Pharisee. The things by which 
the latter would recommend himself to God, such as 
''mint, anise, and cummin,'' are in his garden, or 
elsewhere, not in him. His acts of devotion too, are 
merely outward, they do not spring from the inward 
living principles here specified ; these are only in 
the genuine Christian and are directly from God, 
''who worketh all in all." This grand idea is beau- 
tifully expressed by Charles Wesley in the follow- 
ing lines : 

''Thou all our works in us hast wrought: 
Our good is all divine : 
The praise of every virtuous thought 
And righteous word, is thine. 

"From thee, through Jesus, we receive 
The power on thee to call. 
In whom we are, and move and live : 
Our God is all in all." 

Yes, the eight principles here specified by the 
Apostle, are ^' the fruit of the Spirit,'' and have their 
seat in the soul ; while the things which constitute 
the relio'ion of the Pharisee are merelv outward, and 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 295 

natural ; not supernatural^ not the worh, not the 
fruit, of the Spirit. And as he has nothing but 
what results from the exercise of his natural powers, 
independent of this peculiar work of the Spirit, and 
equally independent of the atonement, he is said to 
*' exalt himself,'' or to attempt so to do. Nor does 
the righteousness of the Pharisee include any one of 
the eight particulars here specified ; he is absolutely 
destitute of Christian faith, courage, knowledge^ 
temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness y 
and love. Being ignorant of Ood^s righteousness ^ 
and going about to establish his own righteousness, he 
has not submitted to the righteousness of God. " For 
Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to 
every one that belie veth.''[ Pharisaism excludes 
alike, the Christian doctrine, the Christian experi- 
ence, and the Christian practice. Hence a Pharisee, 
as such, has no hope, and is without God in the 
world. If the Pharisee, as such, can make good his 
claim, the Bible is not true ; it is not possible to 
unite Pharisaism and the Bible; he who embraces 
the one, must absolutely reject the other : the more 
I investigate, the more I become convinced of the 
absolute antagonism of these two systems. Hence, 
as I attempt to develop the great principles of the 
Christian system, I find Pharisaism meeting and 
opposing me at every step. This is my apology 
for so often adverting to it ; it is not possible to 
defend the one, and not oppose the other. 

But, although all the above particulars are in the 
Christian, and are produced by the direct agency 
of the Holy Spirit, this is not done without the will- 



296 POWER WITH god and with men. 

ing co-operation of him who is the subject of this 
work of the Spirit. Indeed, the very nature of 
each particular implies this. But this willing co- 
ope7'ation is itself the result of free grace, by which 
fallen man is enabled, though not forced, to co- 
operate with the Spirit in his renewing operations. 
And the reason whj^ any man is not renewed, or 
does not progress, is to be found in the fact that 
he does not co-operate with, but resists, the Holy 
Spirit. Hence the charge, "• Ye do always resist 
the Holy Ghost; as your fathers did, so do ye." 
Hence, too, the exhortation, '' Work out your own 
salvation with fear and trembling ; for it is God 
which worketh in you to will and to do of his good 
pleasure." Work, for God works. If God did not 
work, no child of man would ever work, in the 
sense here specified. Nor can we work any longer 
than God works. The Christian work is one of 
co-operation with God, which co-operation is itself 
the result of free grace. We may well sing, — 
^' ! to grace how great a debtor." 

The works which do not result from the opera- 
tions of the Holy Spirit, St. Paul calls ''the works 
of the fl^esh." Nothing can exceed the clearness 
and force with which this Apostle presents this 
whole subject, in the fifth chapter of his Epistle to 
the Galatians. And the principles involved, being 
of such vital importance, I have concluded to give 
the entire passage in this connection. 

'' This I say then : Walk in the Spirit, and ye 
shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh 
lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 297 

the flesh ; and these are contrary the one to the 
other ; so that ye cannot do the things that ye 
would. But if ye be led by the Spirit, ye are not 
under the law. Now the w^orks of the flesh are 
manifest, which are these — Adultery, fornication, 
uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, 
hatred, variance, emulations, w^rath, strife, sedi- 
tions, heresies, env^dngs, murders, drunkenness, 
revellings, and such like — [for this is only a sam- 
ple] — of which I tell you before, as I have also 
told 3^ou in time past, that they which do such 
things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. " 

Observe, not only are these the legitimate 
** works of the flesh,'' of '^ the natural man,'' but 
they are done despite the teachings and influences 
of the Spirit, despite that ''measure of grace that 
is given to every man to profit withal ;" despite 
that *'true light that lighteth every man that 
cometh into the world." And when the Spirit and 
grace of God, coming to him through the atone- 
ment, succeed in checking this vile wretch in his 
mad career, so that he is saved from outbreaking 
sins, then, forsooth, he gives himself credit for the 
whole, turns Pharisee, and claims heaven on the 
principle of merit ; pronounces himself meet for, 
and entitled to '' an inheritance among all them 
that are sanctified;" among those *'w^ho have 
washed their robes and made them white in the 
blood of the Lamb!" To me, this seems to be the 
highest pitch to which madness and wickedness can 
be carried. And this is Pharisaism ! *' But the 
fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, 



298 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance ; 
against such there is no law. And they that are 
Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the affections 
and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk 
in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain-glor}^, 
provoking one another, envjdng one another.'' It 
is by the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit that 
the dead soul is first quickened into life ; and 
having thus lived by the Spirit, Paul says, " let us 
walk by the Spirit." Thus, Christian life and 
Christian progression are, alike, the result of the 
Spirit's life-giving and life-increasing influences. 
This is Christianity, and all beside ^'is enmity 
against God." 

But the Apostle not only says that all '' these 
things" are to be ^4n you," but that they are to 
'"abound;" — faith, courage, knowledge, temper- 
ance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and 
love ; all in the soul, and each in its place ; all act- 
ing, and acting in harmony. Here is a system, 
infinitely more glorious than the Solar System ; 
here is harmonious action, more glorious than the 
dance of the spheres. And from the harmonious 
action of this complete system, results Christian 
progression, glorious progression ; for by their 
mutual action they necessarily support and in- 
crease each other. Every power of the soul, in its 
action, is under the influence of its appropriate 
grace ; while all are under the influence of the Holy 
Spirit. Yet the will is still free, and, consequently, 
may still resist any or all of these influences, or 
comply with any or all of them. If it does the 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 299 

latter, action and progression continue. But if it 
does the former, the brake is on, and both the 
action and the progression are retarded or wholl}^ 
stopped — while a very different action is intro- 
duced, resulting in retrogression, as far as it ex- 
tends, for the brake may only be applied, say, to 
brotherl}^ kindness ; but, hy a kind of sympathy, all 
the active powers feel the shock, and are more or 
less enfeebled in their action. But so far as the 
will has positively forbidden right action, there is 
action in the contrary direction ; for here there is 
no standing still — onward, or backward, is the un- 
alterable law with regard to this machine. 

"For," says the Apostle, ''if these things be in 
you, and abound, thej^ make yow that ye shall neither 
be barren nor unfruitful." It is obvious that the 
words "barren," and "unfruitful," are of sj^non}^- 
mous import ; not so the original Greek words 
which thej^ are designed to represent, ovx apycrvj 
ovbs axa^Ttov^. The latter word, akarpous, means 
barren, or unfruitful ; but the former, argons, means 
unemployed, inactive, idle, slothful. It is so ren- 
dered by Parkhurst, Greenfield, Whitby, Wesley, 
Dr. Adam Clarke, and, in short, all whom I have 
consulted. With this criticism the Apostle's words 
are at once seen to be accurate, expressive, and im- 
portant, in the last degree. " If these things be in 
you, and abound, they make you that ye shall 
neither be inactive nor unfruitful." The person in 
whom all these principles are in lively operation, 
and abounding, cannot possibly be unemployed, idle, 
slothful^ inactive. To say he can, implies a positive 



300 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

contradiction. You might as well talk about a per- 
fect locomotive being inactive with a full head of 
steam on, as to talk about such a man being inac- 
tive, or idle. What the Apostle says, is strictly and 
absolutely true. These things being in you, and 
abounding J they make you that ye shall not be idle, 
slothful^ inactive. The man in whom all these prin- 
ciples are in harmonious action, must move, and 
move in the right direction too. The harmonious 
action of faith, courage, knowledge, temperance, 
jjatience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love, 
must move in the right direction. Love guided by 
knowledge directs to its proper object as truly as 
the needle points to the pole. The same is true of 
brotherly kindness, courage, and godliness; while the 
impetuous onward rush of the more ardent affec- 
tions are tempered, softened, and controlled by tem- 
perance and patience. Meantime, the whole soul 
rests upon the atonement by faith, moving, so to 
speak, as upon a pivot, while in holy affection she 
turns to every object that legitimately claims her 
attention. See that holy Apostle Paul, for example, 
as he flies from Jerusalem round by lUyricum, ex- 
claiming '' The love of Christ constraineth us, be- 
cause we thus judge, that if ome died for all, then 
were all dead." Yet, while he is thus flj^ing to the 
rescue of Jew and Gentile, barbarian, Scythian, bond, 
and free, he exclaims, ''The life that I now live in 
the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who 
loved me, and gave himself for me.'' Again, '' I de- 
termined to know nothing among you, save Jesus 
Christ, and him crucified.'' Again, ^' The law of the 



CIIllISTIAN PROGRESSION. 301 

Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, hath made me free 
from the law of sin and death.'' And yet again 
*' Nay, in all these things we are more than con- 
querors, through him that loved us. For I am per- 
suaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor 
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor 
things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other 
creature, shall be able to separate us from the love 
of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Thus 
does his soul cleave to and rest in Jesus hj faith, 
while in holy and ardent affection he flies to the help 
of every child of man. Truly here is action, power- 
ful, irresistible action; and that in the right direc- 
tion. I say, irresistible action ; for, heroically and 
triumphantly, he bids defiance to all the opposing 
powers that were, or that could be brought against 
him; exclaiming, ''^NTone of these things move me, 
neither count I my life dear unto me, so that I might 
finish my course with joy." And waxing still more 
bold he exclaims, ''Who shall separate us from the 
love of Christ ?" Then specifying every conceivable 
evil principle and agency, such as, tribulation, dis- 
tress, j^ersecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword, 
and numerous others ; he sets them all at defiance, 
and gives to all worlds the most convincing proof 
that his boasting is not in vain, by going right for- 
ward in the face of every enemy, and in the midst 
of perils by sea and by land ; shouting as he goes, 
'' Thanks be unto God which always causeth us to 
triumph;" adding, ''If God be for us, who can be 
against us?" To this challenge all his enemies 
were silent, hence he went on from conquest to cou- 

26 



802 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

quest, till he finished his course with joy I Nor has 
the challenge been taken up to this day, though the 
church has been repeating it from then till now. 
And it is firmly believed that it never will be taken 
up. And, what is still more strange, many a poor 
saint, not worth a dollar in the world, has repeated 
this challenge, and many such are still repeating it, 
and hurling it right in the face of all their enemies, 
but as yet no one has ever dared to join issue : and 
we confidently believe that it may be repeated with 
perfect safety by the poorest and the feeblest of all 
who trust in Jesus. And it is quite certain, that 
having these things in them and abounding, they 
will not be inactive ^ idle or slothful. No, they will 
act, they will go forward, they will go about doing 
good, regardless of every threatening, every enemy, 
every danger. If their duty leads them to Jerusa- 
lem, Corinth, Rome, or Worms, they will be there, 
though there were as many devils there as there are 
tiles upon the house-tops. Yes, they will go, despite 
every threat, if they have in them faith, courage, 
knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, broth- 
erly kindness, and love, abounding according to the 
demands of the occasion. Nor is it possible even to 
conceive of a reason why they should not proceed 
when God thus calls and qualifies ; and pledges his 
infinite perfections in their defence. 

Idleness, inactivity, or slothfulness, must result 
from want of faith, courage, or love ; or because all 
three are defective. For instance, 3^ou hear a man 
take the name of God in vain ; or in some other 
way sin against God ; and you know, consequently. 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 303 

that he is in danger of perishing : yet 3^ou do not 
reprove or warn him, though God has commanded 
3'ou to do so. Now, why do you not? Evidently 
because you lack courage^ or love, or both : if you 
loved him, you would try to save him, regardless of 
any supposed inconvenience resulting from your 
efforts to that end. Would a mother, on beholding 
her child in danger of perishing, begin to count up 
the little inconveniences that would probably result 
from her attempts to save her child ? No, her love 
would move her to instant and energetic action, not 
allowing her even to think of her own safety, much 
less probable inconveniences. Your faith, too, is 
defective in such instances of inaction : jou do not 
believe God's threatening, either as it regards your 
own disobedience, or your neighbor's daring sins; 
or, it may be, 3^ou do not believe that your reproof 
or warning would have any good effect uj^on the 
offender. In either, or all of these ways, your un- 
belief ma\' prevent your acting in the case. But if 
you firmly believed both the command and the 
threatening, you would certainly reprove and warn 
your neighbor, especially if 3^ou loved him as ^^ou 
should. Take another instance. You are com- 
manded to wait upon God in his appointed means of 
grace, say, the weekly pra^^er-meeting : and to this 
command also he adds exceeding great and precious 
promises ; 3'et you absent 3^ourself from the prayer- 
meeting, and that, perhaps, habitually. Wh3^ ? 
Evidently because 3^ou lack faith, or love, or both. 
You do not love to be there. And you do not love 
to be there because 3^ou do not love God, or his 



304 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

cause, or his people, as you should. And 3^our 
faith, too, is defective ! You do not believe God 
would meet with you there and bless you. You 
say, ^' What should we be profited if we should pray 
unto him ?'^ Neither do you believe that '' his bless- 
ing maketh rich.^^ If you did, you would certainly 
be there, and seek his blessing earnestly, knowing 
that ''every one that seeketh findeth.'' But you 
say, it may be, '' The evening is cold,'' or, ''it is 
wet,'' and this, you think, fully accounts for your 
not being there. But I do not think so. Allow me 
to ask a single question. Suppose you fully believed 
that you would receive ten dollars by going that 
distance at the same hour, and that you would lose 
that sum if you did not go, would you go ? Yea, 
verily, and that for a much less sum, even if it were 
both colder and darker than it is on prayer-meeting 
night. In this way any one may easily judge of the 
strength of his faith, and also of the value he 
places upon God's blessing ! If he would go farther 
to obtain a few dollars, than he would go to obtain 
God's blessing, his promised blessing in his own 
appointed means, it is evident that his faith, and his 
love, and his estimate of the divine blessing, are 
very small. To such it is, that God says, " Go to 
the ant, ye sluggard." Here, too, all may see, who 
are willing to see, why there are so msmy idlers in 
matters of religion ; they lack these holy active 
graces of the Spirit, for if these things were in 
them, and abounding, they would not, they could 
not, be idle. O ! ye idlers, hear ye the word of the 
Lord, and add these things to your faith, if you 



CHRTSTTAN PROORESSTON. 305 

have an}" faith, and if 3'ou have not, repent and 
believe the gospel, otherwise 3^011 will be damned, 
for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. " He 
that believeth not shall be damned.'' 

The Apostle not only says, '* these things being in 
you, and abounding, make you that ye shall not be 
idle," but he adds, ''nor unfruitful." This, too, is 
strictly and necessarily true. Such action must pro- 
duce fruit, good fruit, and much of it. To all such 
actors, God himself says, '' Your labor shall not be in 
vain in the Lord." Such vigorous plants of grace 
must, and do, produce fruit ; '' some thirt}^, some 
sixt}^ and some an hundred fold." Nor is this true 
in regard to spiritual things only. Such persons are 
''not slothful in business," while the}' are "fervent 
in spirit, serving the Lord." While these princi- 
ples moved Paul to fly "from Jerusalem round by 
Illyricum," for the glorj^ of God and the salvation 
of souls ; thc}^ also moved him to make tents, when 
that was necessary ; while other disciples were 
moved to "go a fishing," when that was necessarj^ 
And Jesus was with them when they were fishing, 
as well as w^hen they were preaching ; }^ea, and 
assisted in preparing a breakfast for those fishermen, 
as well as in helping them to catch the "fish. To see 
Jesus standing by that " fire of coals," by the sea 
of Galilee, "and fish laid thereon, and bread," and 
to hear him^say, " Bring of the fish which ^^e have 
now caught;" and, finall}^ "Children, come and 
dine," is to m}^ mind one of the most sublime, in- 
structive, and affecting scenes ever witnessed ; while 

it is a withering rebuke to proud idlers. " He went 

26* 



306 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

about doing good/' saying, '^knowest thou not that I 
must be about my Father's business ;'' I must work 
the work of him that sent me f '' My meat is to do 
the will of him that sent me." He fed the hungry 
disciples by the sea-shore, and the hungr}^ multitudes 
in the wilderness. ''He went about all the cities and 
villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preach- 
ing the Gospel of the Kingdom, and healing every 
sickness, and every disease among the people. But, 
when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with 
compassion on them, because they fainted, and were 
scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. 
Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly 
is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Pray ye, 
therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that he will send 
forth laborers into his harvest." Truly, Jesus was 
neither idle nor unfruitful; neither are his disci- 
ples, for they are influenced by the very same prin- 
ciples that influenced their Master ; they have the 
tnind that was in Jesus, every one of them, without 
a single exception ; for " if any man have not the 
spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Hence, they 
labor as he did, going about doing good; to the 
bodies as well as to the souls of their fellows, in 
every possible way ; feeding the hungry and cloth- 
ing the naked ; visiting those who are sick, and 
those who are in prison ; willing to cook a meal of 
victuals, make a tent, or go a fishing, when neces 
sary ; singing as they go, — 

''Jesus, confirm my heart's desire, 

To work, and speak, and think for thee ; 
Still let me guard the holy fire, 
And still stir up thy gift in me. 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 30*? 

'^ Ready for all thy perfect will, 
My act of faith and love repeat, 
Till death thy endless mercies seal. 
And make the sacrifice complete." 

It is evident that a country inhabited by such a 
people, a people having " these things in them, and 
abounding,'' must prosper every way. '' The wilder- 
ness and the solitary place shall be glad for them ; 
and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the 
rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice, 
even with joy and singing : the glory of Lebanon 
shall be given unto it, and the excellency of Carmel 
and Sharon." Where such people dwell for a given 
period, hamlets, towns, and cities, will rise all over 
the land. Here ''the pastures of the wilderness, 
and the little hills rejoice on every side. The 
pastures are clothed w4th flocks ; the valle3^s also 
are covered with corn; they shout for joy, they also 
sing." Such people are ''like a tree planted by the 
rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his 
season, their leaf also shall not wither, and whatso- 
ever they do shall prosper." Being influenced by 
the principles, and guided by the knowledge here 
specified, they cannot be either inactive or unfruitful. 
This is the godliness that " is profitable unto all 
things, having the promise of the life that now is, 
and of that which is to come." They "have their 
fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." 
Such a people are emphatically a power for good ; 
they have " power with God and with men," and they 
prevail. " They turn the world upside down," and 
under their culture the wilderness becomes a fruitful 



308 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

field, in every sense of the word, and that just in 
proportion as these things are in them. All this is 
confirmed by the most incontestable facts of history. 
Weakness, indolence, and unfruitfulness, ever have 
been, and now are, the characteristics of the j)eople 
who have been, or now are, destitute of these 
principles. If, being forced, such people have built 
pyramids, or other monuments, to gratify the pride 
of tyrants, this affords no exception to the rule : so 
far as any people are destitute of these principles, 
they are indolent, weak, and unfruitful ; and such has 
ever been the fact, and ever will be. What has 
paganism done for this country ? What has it done 
for any country? What has been done for any 
country by those religious systems which were, or 
are, destitute of the principles here specified ? The 
facts of history afford but one answer to this 
question. On the other hand, it is equally clear 
that wherever these divine principles have been in 
any people under the whole heaven, thej^ have been 
active, powerful, and fruitful, and that just in the 
proportion that these things were in them and were 
abounding. how marvellously has the fisherman 
of Galilee seized upon all the great principles of 
action, power, and fruitfulness ! But the secret is 
simply this, he wrote and spoke as he was moved by 
the Holy Ghost. Had it not been so, he never could 
have declared, in a few words, what was never 
known, or conceived, much less taught, by the wise 
men, so called, of Greece and Rome : never could 
have said, in a few words, more than was ever known 
by any uninspired man, however learned, either 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 309 

since or before. How abundantly has that modern 
saying been admired and praised, '' Knowledge is 
power. '^ But this saying sinks into insignificance 
when compared with these few words of the Apostle 
Peter ; yet how few have been particularly struck 
with them ! The fact is, mere knowledge is not 
power ; to be a power it must be properly applied. 
The devil has a vast amount of knowledge, doubt- 
less, yet he has no j^ower for good : absolutely none. 
Whereas the man w^ho has the knowledge and the 
other particulars specified by the Apostle, is such a 
power that he triumphs over every opposing power : 
he '' has power with God and with men, and pre- 
vails ;" and triumphs over the powers of darkness 
also ! 

But observe, for it is a point of great importance, 
the Apostle connects all with " the knowledge of 
our Lord Jesus Christ." Without this knowledge 
we are powerless, whatever else w^e may have ; but 
every man who has it, is a power, especiallj^ if he is 
careful to add to it, the other particulars here 
specified ; then he will " neither be idle nor unfruit- 
ful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." A 
man may Le idle and unfruitful in the knowledge 
of Plato, Socrates, and other men of fame ; but not 
**in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 
'^ This is life eternal, that they might know thee the 
odI}^ true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast 
sent." To have life and power, w^e must be con- 
nected with Jesus Christ in the w^ay here specified 
by the Apostle ; for " Jesus is the way, the truth, 
and the life ;" and ''all power is given unto him in 



310 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

heaven and in earth.'^ Hence no other being can 
give either life or power to fallen man ; for no other 
being has either one or the other to give. In view 
of this fact, how forcible are the words of the be- 
loved disciple: — '' This is the true God, and eternal 
life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. 
Amen." 



CHAPTER XIV. 

To make the additions here specified, we must give all dili- 
gence. " These things" do not come by chance — Having 
seen the consequences of making these additions; and 
abounding, we are now shown the awful consequences of 
not doing so — All this is addressed to them that have 
obtained Apostolic faith — The distinctive characteristics of 
those who do, and of those who do not, make these additions 
— Some thoughts with regard to those who have backslid- 
den as here stated — The infallibility of those who '' do these 
things." 

To make the additions here specified we must 
give all diligence. These things do not come to us 
by chance, nor are they forced upon us by any 
power, either human or divine. I maj be courage- 
ous or pusillanimous ; I may seek and find knowl- 
edge, or I may live and die in ignorance ; I may be 
temperate or intemperate ; I may be patient or 
peevish ; I may be godly or ungodly ; I may be 
kind or unkind; I may love or hate; I may increase 
or diminish the good that is already in me ; I may 
be idle or active ; fruitful or unfruitful. All this is 
matter of fact and experience. These are among 
the things that are only found by seeking for them. 
And to obtain them we must seek with diligence. 
^Tor will ordinary diligence suflftce for this purpose. 

311 



312 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

Therefore the Apostle exhorts us to give all diligence. 
That is, I suppose, make a wise use of all the knowl- 
edge and grace you have, and use all the means in 
your power to obtain more. Ask, seek, strive. ''Be 
instant in season and out of season." Leave no stone 
unturned. '' Buy the truth, and sell it not." '' What 
thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might." 
what a change would soon be witnessed in the church 
if all her members would faithfully practice these 
teachings of the Apostle ! and what a change would 
soon be witnessed in the world, as well as in the 
church ! Doubtless we would soon witness such 
revolutions as were witnessed in apostolic times. 
But alas ! while few are giving all diligence to ob- 
tain these things, they are multitudinous who are 
seeking ritualistic trumpery and other carnal grati- 
fications ; while others are so indolent and useless, 
that it is extremelj^ difficult to say why God permits 
such useless lumber to remain on the earth, seeing 
they are only a burden to themselves and others ; 
mere stumbling-blocks over which others stumble 
and fall. 

Havino; exhorted us to add these thincrs and to 
give all diligence to that end ; and having shown 
the happy consequences of so doing, the Apostle 
now shows the consequences of not doing so "But 
he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see 
afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from 
his old sins." Such are the consequences of not 
adding. If you do not add, 3^ou will lose what you 
have ; if you do not progress you will retrograde. 
This is evidently the teaching of the Apostle in the 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 318 

passage before us. And in view of this, he again 
urges the necessity of diligence. ''Wherefore the 
rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling 
and election sure: for if ye do these things 3'e shall 
never fall.'^ If you add these things, giving all dili- 
gence to that end : if you have all these things in 
you, and all abounding, you thus " make your call- 
ing and election sure,'' and " shall never fall.'' ''But 
he that lacketh these things," that is, does not add 
them, "is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath 
forgotten that he was purged from his old sins." 

Now, let it be remembered, that the Apostle 
addresses all this to them that have obtained like 
precious faith with us through the righteousness of 
God our Saviour Jesus Christ ;" and then still more 
pointedly, to each one as having been "purged from 
his old sins." Remember, too, that none but those 
who have this faith can make these additions, for it 
is to this faith that all these things are added, as we 
formerly showed. It follows, that this very indi- 
vidual, who had this "precious faith," and had been 
"purged from his old sins;" "is blind and cannot 
see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged 
from his old sins;" and all this is in consequence of 
lacking these things ; and he lacks, or is destitute of 
these things, because he did not add them ; and he 
did not add them, because he did not "give dili- 
gence" to that end. In a word, he did not progress, 
and therefore backslid. Forward or backward is 
the fixed and unalterable law in Christian morals! 

Now let us more carefully notice the state of this 
backslider, as here described by the Apostle. " He 

27 



314 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten 
that he was purged from his old sins." I doubt 
whether I can do better than give Dr. Adam Clarke's 
comment upon these words ; I will therefore lay it 
before the reader, as he may not have the doctor's 
Commentary. 

" Yerse 9. But he that lacketh these things.'] He, 
whether Jew or Gentile, who professes to have paith 
in God, and has not added to that faith fortitude, 
knowledge^ temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly 
kindness, and universal love, is Hind — his under- 
standing is darkened, and cannot see afar off, 
Ixvi^Tia^oiv, shutting his eyes against the light, winking, 
not able to look truth in the face, nor to behold that 
God whom he once knew was reconciled to him : 
and thus it appears he is wilfully blind, and hafh 
forgotten that he was purged from his old sins, has 
at last, through his non-improvement of the grace 
which he received from God, his faith ceasing to 
work by love, lost the evidence of things not seen ; 
for, having grieved the Holy Spirit, by not showing 
forth the virtues of him who called him into his 
marvellous light, he has lost the testimony of his 
sonship; and then, darkness and hardness having 
taken place of light and filial confidence, he first 
calls his former experience into doubt, and ques- 
tions whether he has not put enthusiasm in place 
of religion. By this means his darkness and hard- 
ness increase, his memory becomes indistinct and 
confused, till at length he forgets the work of God 
on his soul, next denies it, and at last asserts that 
the knowledge of salvation, by the remission of sins, 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 315 

is impossible, that no man can be saved from 

sin in this life. Indeed, some go so far as to deny 
the Lord that bought them; renounce Jesus Christ 
as having made an atonement for them ; and finish 
their career of apostacy by utterly denying his 
Godhead. Many cases of this kind have I known ; 
and they are all the consequences of believers not 
continuing to be workers together with God, after 
they had experienced his pardoning love." 

Unquestionably the doctor has seized the leading 
ideas of the Apostle, but whether he has, or has 
not, stated the exact way in which the retrogression 
takes place, the fact that it has taken place, or that 
it may take place, and that to the extent specified 
by the Apostle, remains indisputable. Nor can the 
way in which the apostacy takes place, be better 
stated than it is stated by the same inspired 
authority that states the fact of its possibility : — If 
you add these things, if they are in you and abound, 
you must he active, and fruitful ; and can neither 
backslide or apostatize ; but he that lacketh these 
things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath 
forgotten that he was purged from his old sins." 
This is the sum and substance of the Apostle's 
teaching. And the state here described, call it 
that of an apostate, or any thing else you please, 
is certainly an awful state : and it is, or may be, 
the state of one who once had like precious faith 
with the Apostles, and had been once purged from 
his old sins. These are the facts f 

One characteristic of unbelievers, as given in 
Scripture, is, that they look at the things that are 



316 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

temporal, the things that belong to this world ; 
while the grand characteristic of believers is, that 
they look at the things that are spiritual and eter- 
nal. The objects and rewards of faith, are repre- 
sented by our Apostle as being ^^ far off,'' so far 
that the man who '' lacks these things'' cannot see 
them : and, like one who is short-sighted, and who 
tries to see a distant object, that his neighbor 
speaks of, and sees clearly, he contracts and dilates 
his eyes, and after thus squinting and trying his 
best, and yet failing to see the object, he finally 
concludes there is no such object to be seen, that it 
is his neighbor that is mistaken not himself! Just 
so the blind man spoken of by Peter ; blind as to 
the objects and rewards of faith, he hears others 
talk about these things, but after a kind of squint- 
ing effort, and utterly failing to see them, because 
they are far off, he finally concludes there are no 
such things, and settles down as a believer in all 
unbelief; is henceforth content to confine his atten- 
tion to those things which he can see with such 
faculties as he has ; and all this is quite natural ; 
though he has no right to conclude that others can- 
not see distant objects, simply because he cannot. 
The blindness here spoken of by the Apostle, is 
spoken of with equal distinctness by our blessed 
Lord, in John xiv. 16, 11. ''And I will pray the 
Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, 
that he may abide with you forever ; even the 
Spirit of truth ; whom the world cannot receive, 
because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him : but 
ye know him ; for he dwelleth with you, and shall 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 317 

be in you." The same fact is thus stated by Paul ; 
*' But the natural man receiveth not the things of 
the Spirit of God ; for they are foolishness unto him ; 
neither can he know them, because they are spiritu- 
ally discerned." Now, the man of whom Peter 
speaks, though once enlightened, and purged from 
his old sins, is again in this state, and is so for the 
reasons specified by the Apostle. If the world can- 
not see because it receiveth not the Spirit, neither 
can this man, because he has grieved away the 
Spirit. The reason is precisely the same in each 
case. When the light is taken away or extinguished, 
he who had it is no better off than he who never 
had it, unless so far as he may remember what he 
once saw : but the memory had also suffered, in the 
man of whom Peter speaks, so that he had " for- 
gotten" what he once knew ; he had both lost sight 
of, and forgotten, what he once knew and saw. We 
may not be able to understand these mental an4 
moral phenomena, but the fact is indisputable, 
being matter of observation and experience. 

But, bad as is the case here described by the 
Apostle, I am not prepared to say that it is hope' 
less. Formerly, when he was both blind and dead, 
Jesus gave him eyes to see, and quickened him into 
life, and he may be able to do so again. But, to this 
end, he must cry, like blind Bartimeus, " Jesus, thou 
son of David, have mercy on me." The Holy Spirit 
may still be given to him if he will ask him ; and in 
his light, and under his life-giving influences,: he may 
yet '' remember from whence he has fallen, and re- 
pent and do his first works." And unless be do so, 

27* 



318 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

it is quite certain that he will perish. True, his« 
last state may be worse than the first ; but it is 
equally true that the dead may still hear the voice 
of the Son of God ; equally true that Jesus still 
gives eyesight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, 
utterance to the dumb, and feet to the lame. Yea, 
he still cleanses the lepers, and raises the dead. 
And even now, he cries, long and loud, to dead 
Laodiceans ; and knocks at the closed door, in- 
treating an entrance, and promising that he will 
come in and sup with them, if they will only grant 
him an entrance. 0, let us not limit the Most 
High : for he is still " the Lord, the Lord God, 
gracious and merciful, long-suffering, and abundant 
in goodness and in truth, forgiving iniquity, and 
transgression, and sin.'^ But if such backsliders 
will still persist in their own ways, still persist in 
closing their eyes, their ears, and their hearts ; the 
time will certainly come, when even this merciful 
God will cease to be gracious, when his mercy shall 
be clean gone, when he shall even swear in his 
wrath that they shall not enter his rest. O ye blind 
and dead, hvice dead, Laodicean backsliders, cry, 
cr}'' mightily to God, and give him no rest till he 
restore unto you the joys of his salvation. And if 
you are again saved by grace through faith, see to 
it that you "add to your faith courage, and to cour- 
age knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and 
to temperance patience, and to patience godliness, 
and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to 
brotherly kindness love." And see that all ''these 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 319 

tniiigs" are not only '' in you," but that they abound. 
Then ye shall no longer be either idle or unfruitful. 
'' Wherefore, " says the Apostle, in view of the 
stupendous interests that are pending, in view of the 
fact that '' some, concerning faith have made ship- 
wreck,'^ in view of the awful danger of your coming 
short of heaven and perishing forever; ''wherefore," 
in view of all these considerations, and many others, 
not to be expressed, or even conceived ; '' Wherefore 
the rather, brethren, give diligence to make 3^our 
calling and election sure : for if ye do these things 
ye shall never fall." '' Give diligence," " add these 
things ;" have them '^ in 3^ou," and have them 
abounding, and ''ye shall never fall." The same 
truth is declared in the fifteenth Psalm, " He that 
doeth these things shall never be moved." JSTo, 
never. "He shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot 
be moved." Suns, moons, and stars may, yea, and 
will fall: but '^ He that doeth these things shall 
never be moved," much less fall! Such believing, 
courageous, progressing Christians, can, yea, and* do 
sing: " God is our refuge and strength, a very pre- 
sent help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, 
though the earth be removed, [mark their faith and 
courage,] and though the mountains be carried into 
the midst of sea ; though the waters thereof roar 
and be troubled, though the mountains shake with 
the swelling thereof. Selah." Xo, for being thus 
faithful, they have the blessed assurance, "that 
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, 
nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 
nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall 



320 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

be able to separate them from the love of God which 
is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.'^ '' Here is the pa- 
tience of the saints," and here is the infallibility of 
the saints ; and in this infallibility I believe with 
my whole soul. If ye do these things ye shall 
NEVER FALL. Selah. *^ The mouth of the Lord 
hath spoken it." And though men may gainsay it, 
neither man nor devil can unsay it. 



CHAPTER XV. 

The final result of the progression — An ''abundant entrance 
into the eyerlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
Christ" — These wonderful words and thoughts could only 
come to us by inspiration — An attempt to explain the word 
^rxt/tTia? — The question, shall all who finally reach heaven, 
have this abundant entrance ministered unto them, is exam- 
ined, and answered in the negative — It is again shown why 
some are a power, while others are not — Even for the same 
reason that the glorified shine as stars of difi'erent magni- 
tudes — The word of God holds out no encouragement, no 
reward, to idleness. 

For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you 
abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our 
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." Such is the issue 
to which the Apostle conducts this glorious Christian 
progression. He conducts his conquering hero to 
a KINGDOM, an *' everlasting kingdom ;" and leaves 
him in quiet, undisputed^ indisputable^ and eternal 
possession of it. The words with which the Apostle 
concludes this glorious progression, and the ideas 
which they are employed to express, are alike 
marvellous. All attempts to'improve the language, 
or swell the ideas, must prove a failure. This ma}^ 
be seen in the attempts which commentators have 
made to this end. Mr. Wesley on the place, says, 

*'Ye shall go in full triumph to glory." Doctoi 

321 



322 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

Doddridge says, *^Ye shall be received into it with 
circumstances of solemn pomp and distinguished 
honor.'' Dr. Clark says, '*An abundant, free, 
honorable, and triumphant entrance shall be min- 
istered to you into the everlasting kingdom. "This 
is very well, and probably the best that can be said, 
if the words of the Apostle be at all departed from. 
But it is easy to see that all such attempts fall im- 
measurably below the original. 

While we would not attempt to improve, or in 
any way change, a single word in this truly wonder- 
ful conclusion, we may be permitted to call special 
attention to the marvellously expressive words which 
the Apostle employs, and which are well translated 
in the common version. 

Observe then, the progression of which the 
Apostle has been speaking is represented as termi- 
nating in a KINGDOM ; and the triumphant hero is 
represented as now entering into this kingdom for 
the first time.' The kingdom is that of " our Lord 
and Saviour Jesus Christ." Hence, the entrance 
into it is said to be ministered unto you^ not by 
ministering angels, but by the king himself, the 
Lord Jesus, who is ''the king eternal, immortal, in- 
visible," *'the King of kings, and Lord of lords." 
He does not enter into his kingdom by ancestral 
right, nor by right of conquest, nor by any other 
right, save that which is derived from the atone- 
ment of Jesus Christ, whose is the kingdom. Hence 
the entrance is ministered as the gift of grace, to 
the finally faithful. The same truth is thus ex- 
pressed by the Apostle Paul. — '* I have fought a 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. S2S 

good figlit, I have finished my course, I have kept 
the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a 
crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the right- 
eous judge, shall give me at that day : and not to 
me only, but unto all them also that love his ap- 
pearing." Thus it is that Jesus is ''the author and 
finisher of our faith ;" he lifts the believer out of 
the horrible pit, sets his feet upon the rock, estab- 
lishes his goings, supports, defends and leads him 
throughout the entire progression : and, finally, 
raises him to participate in his own throne and 
kingdom, placing the crown upon his head with 
his own hand. And the crown and kingdom thus 
graciously bestowed, can never be alienated either 
by fraud or force : the parties to whom the entrance 
is thus- ministered, ''shall reign forever and ever.'' 
Thus it is that Jesus " saves to the uttermost." 
And all, from first to last, is the gift of grace, 
'through the righteousness of our God and Saviour 
Jesus Christ.'' O how wonderful the words, and how 
glorious the thoughts, that God here proclaims to 
us from the lips of the humble fisherman of Galilee ! 
Short of inspiration no human mind could originate 
these sublime conceptions, nor is it possible for hu- 
man lips to express them as they are here expressed, 
till first touched with a live coal from the heavenly 
altar. Here the progressive life of the Christian 
is delinated with infallible accuracy from its com- 
mencement to its consummation ; and that consum- 
mation is the gracious bestowment of an everlast- 
ing kingdom, even the kingdom of our Lord and 
Saviour Jesus Christ, who with his own hand places 



824 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

the crown upon the victor's head, and shares with 
him his own throne and kingdom. To express all 
this Peter sa3^s, '' An entrance shall be ministered 
unto you abundantly. '' The word rfkoviao^j here 
translated abundantly ^ is very significant : it is used 
to express the greatest abundance of riches, both 
temporal and spiritual. Hence, in Eph. ii. 4, it is 
used to express the abounding mercy of God. And 
in 2. Cor. viii. 9, it is used to express the eternal 
and ineffable dignity, gioiy, and felicity of Christ 
before his incarnation. See also Col. iii. 16, Titus 
iii. 6, and Rev. ii. 9, where the same word occurs. 

But while we make this feeble attempt to assist 
the reader to understand these inspired and truly 
glorious words, we are more delighted when we 
read them just as they stand in the common text. 
Nor are we satisfied to close our remarks with any 
other words. Hence we quote them again, that the 
reader may repeat them, and dwell upon them, till 
filled with wonder and ravished with delight. Hear 
them, read them, and dwell upon them, ye progress- 
ing Christians ; and mark the end of this glorious 
Christian progress — '* For so an entrance shall be 
ministered unto you abundantly into the everlast- 
ing kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
Christ." Amen, and Amen. 

Thus let the pilgrim's journey end. 
Thus, my Saviour, brother, friend, 
Heceive me to thy breast. 

Onward ! onward ! je progressing Christians ; 
'* Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious 
appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 325 

Christ." And to this end, " Let us la}^ aside every 
weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, 
and let us run with patience the race that is set 
before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and 
finisher of our faith; who, for the joy that was set 
before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, 
and is set down at the right hand of the throne of 
God.'^ 

And let all who thus journey, sing as they go, — 

'^ Who suffer with our Master here, 
We shall before his face appear ; 

And bj his side sit down ; 
To patient faith the prize is sure ; 
And all that to the end endure 

The cross, shall wear the crown. 

'^ Thrice blessed, bliss-inspiring hope I 
It lifts the fainting spirits up ; 

It brings to life the dead ; 
Our conflicts here shall soon be past, 
And you and I ascend at last, 

Triumphant, with our head. 

*' That great, mysterious Deity, 
We soon with open face shall see ; 

The beatific sight 
Shall fill the heavenly courts with praise, 
And wide. diffuse the golden blaze 

Of everlasting light." 

Just here, a thought arises, which we think de- 
mands a moment's notice. Will all those who 
finally reach heaven, have ministered to them the 
abundant entrance of which the Apostle here 
speaks ? We do not hesitate to answer this ques- 
tion m the negative ; for this abundant entrance is 

28 



326 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

the termination^ and the reward, of the progressio:^ 
here specified. But it is certain that many, through 
the abounding grace of God, will finally reach 
heaven, though they did not progress as here speci- 
fied. Multitudes of children, for instance, who 
were never capable of this progression, are, never- 
theless, saved in heaven through the atonement. 
And multitudes, we trust, after a life of sin, repent, 
fly to Jesus, and are finally saved, as it were, at the 
eleventh hour. Now these cannot be said to have 
made any progress, much less the progress here 
specified ; hence, they cannot have ministered to 
them the abundant entrance of which the Apostle 
speaks, and which he promises to those who thus 
progress, and to those only. It is, in our judg- 
ment, folly to suppose, for instance, that the thief, 
who repented and died upon the cross ; and Paul, 
who fought a good fight, finished his course, and 
kept the faith ; shall have the same entrance min- 
istered unto them into the everlasting kingdom, and 
participate alike in the same glory. No, they will 
most assuredly differ, even as one star differeth 
from another star in glory. The difference which 
distinguished them in this life, will equally dis- 
tinguish them in that which is to come. Those who 
are distinguished by Christian progression here, 
and by corresponding moral power, will be equally 
distinguished by their glory hereafter. When John 
was permitted to look into heaven, he marked this 
distinction, and has made a faithful record of it in 
his book of Revelations. In the seventh chapter, 
he tells us of a certain number, who were nearest 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 32T 

to the throne ; and being struck with something pe- 
culiar in their appearance, as well as with the fact 
that they were nearest to the throne, he inquired, 
or '' one of the elders'^ started the question : *'What 
are these, which are arrayed in white robes ? and 
whence came they?" To this inquiry the following 
answer was given. '' These are they which came 
out of great tribulation, and have washed their 
robes, and made them white in the blood of the 
Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of 
God, and serve him day and night in his temple ; 
and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among 
them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst 
any more ; neither shall the sun light on them, nor 
any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of 
the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto 
living fountains of water: and God shall wipe 
away all tears from their eyes." And in the four- 
teenth chapter, he tells us of a certain number of 
exalted spirits who '* sung as it were a new song 
before the throne, and before the four beasts, and 
the elders : and no man could learn that song but 
the hundred and forty and four thousand, which 
were redeemed from the earth. These are they 
which were not defiled with women ; for they are 
virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb 
whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed 
from among men, being the first-fruits unto God 
and the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no 
guile : for they are without fault before the throne 
of God." 

Now, we do not pretend to point out the exact 



328 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

difference between these and other happy spirits in 
heaven, it is sufficient for our present purpose to 
call attention to the fact, that there is a difference, 
a great difference, and also, to the fact, that the 
glory which distinguishes them in heaven, is con- 
nected with the peculiar piety and sufferings which 
distinguished them upon earth. — " They came up 
out of great tribulation," etc., etc. '^ Therefore are 
they before the throne," etc., etc. These are the 
ideas that Charles Wesley develops in the following 
beautiful hymn : — 

''Who are these array'd in white, 

Brighter than the noon-day sun ? 
Foremost of the sons of light: 

Nearest the eternal throne ? 
These are they that bore the cross ; 

Nobly for their master stood ; 
Suff'rers in his righteous cause ; 

FolVwers of the dying God. 
Out of great distress they came : 

Washed their robes, by faith, below, 
In the Blood of yonder Lamb, — 

Blood that washes white as snow ; 
Therefore are they next the throne ; 

Serve their Maker day and night ; 

God resides among his own, 
God doth in his saints delight." 

The poet has seized the grand points of the argu- 
ment as marked in the text; and to fix attention 
upon these points I have caused some of the words 
to be printed in capitals. They nobly stood for 
their Master, they suffered in his righteous cause , 
they bore the cross, they came up out of great tribu- 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 329 

LATION ; therefore, they are foremost of the sons of 
light, nearest the eternal throne, brighter than the 
noon-day sun I ^^ And they sung a new song before 
the throne, and before the four living creatures, 
and the elders ; and no man could learn that song 
but the hundred and forty-four thousand." The 
particulars hy which they were distingushed on 
earth, and those by which they are distinguished in 
heaven, and the fact that the latter are gifts of 
grace in view of the former, are so clearly marked 
by the inspired penman, and by the poet in the 
above verses, that further remarks are unnecessary. 
But if any doubts should still remain, the following 
declaration of the great Judge must forever remove 
them : — '' Behold, I come quickly ; and my reward 
is with me, to give every man according as his 
work shall be." Even in this world the gifts of 
grace are bestowed according to the improvement 
of those who are the recipients of them ; and in the 
next world, the rewards of grace will be propor- 
tioned according to that improvement. To him 
that gained ten pounds the judge will say, '' Well 
done, good servant, because thou hast been faithful 
in a \Qvy little, be thou governor over ten cities." 
And to him that gained five pounds, he will say, 
** Be thou also over five cities." This is clearly the 
teaching of the Bible with regard to the gifts of 
grace, both here and hereafter. Nothing, of course, 
is merited ; ^' for what hast thou that thou didst not 
receive ?" Yet, God bestows or withholds certain 
gifts according as we do, or do not, use those 
already bestowed. 

28* 



330 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

And here, too, we see why some men are a power, 
while others are not : — '' The manifestation of the 
Spirit is given to every man to profit withal ;" and 
to such as make a good use of the grace already 
given, the promise is, '' he shall have more abun- 
dance •/' while from another ^' shall be taken aAvay 
even that which he hath,'' in consequence of his un- 
faithfulness to the grace given. Hence the reason 
why the one is a power, and the other powerless, is 
alike obvious, rational, and scriptural. It is alike 
unscriptural, and irrational, to suppose that those 
who '^ dwell in ceiled houses, that lie upon beds of 
ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, 
and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves 
out of the midst of the stall ; that chant to the 
sound of the viol, that drink wine in bowls, and 
anoint themselves with chief ointments ;" should be 
such a power as were the Wesleys and Whitefield, 
who flew from city to city, and from village to vil- 
lage, preaching the gospel. Or travelling from 
common to common, as did John Wesley and John 
Nelson in Cornwal, preaching Jesus to the neglect- 
ed and perishing multitudes, and supporting them- 
selves, occasionally, with blackberries which they 
plucked by the waj^side, and at night sleeping on 
the floor of some humble cot. Nelson having Bur- 
kett's Notes for his pillow, while he gave Wesley 
his coat, and upon that coat the Fellow of Lincoln 
College, Oxford, reposed his weary head as he slept 
upon the floor of that cot in the wilderness. Blessed 
men : — 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 331 

^' That humble cot upon the wild, 
That stone beneath the tree, 
And souls to heaven's love reconciled, — 
These are enough for thee." 

And, remember, these holy men continued thus 
to labor, till, one b}^ one, in a good old age, they 
yielded up the ghost, and were gathered to their 
fathers ; — 

*' Their bodies with their charge laid down, 
And ceased at once to work and live." 

Such are they to whom ^^an entrance shall be 
ministered abundantly, into the everlasting kingdom 
of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.'' These 
are they who ''lay up treasure in heaven, where 
moth and rust do not corrupt, and where thieves do 
not break through nor steal.'' These are they who 
'' rest from their labors, and their works do follow 
them." These are they who, having turned many to 
righteousness, shall shine as the brightness of the 
firmament, and as the stars forever and ever, let 
not the slothful Christian, if there be such a being^ 
or the old sinner, though finally saved, suppose that 
they shall finally share in these glorious rewards of 
grace which only belong to the faithful servants 
who progress to the extent specified by the Apostle 
in the Scripture which we have been attempting to 
explain. Such expectations are unscriptural, and 
can never be realized. No, the Scriptures hold out 
no encouragement, no reward, to idleness or in- 
dolence. It is to the faithful, the progressing 



332 POWER WITH GOD AND WITH MEN. 

Christian, that the ** abundant entrance/' the ''ex- 
ceeding and eternal weight of glory/' is promised. 
Arise, then, ye careless ones, and ''add to your faith, 
courage ; and to courage, knowledge ; and to know- 
ledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience ; and 
to patience, godliness ; and to godliness, brotherly 
kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.'' And 
"these things being in you," see that they abound^ 
and that more and more ; so that ye shall always 
be exceeding your former self; "growing up into 
Christ, your living head in all things." O ye 
children of God, arise in good earnest, and "press 
toward the mark for the prize." 

" Soldiers of Christ, arise, 

And put your armor on, 
Strong in the strength which God supplies 

Through his eternal Son ; 
Strong in the Lord of Hosts, 

And in his mighty power, 
"Who in the strength of Jesus trusts, 

Is more than conqueror. 

^' Stand then in his great might, 

With all his strength endued ; 
But take, to arm you for the fight, 

The panoply of God : 
That having all things done. 

And all your conflicts past, 
Ye may overcome, through Christ alone, 

And stand entire at last." 

Such is Christian progression ; and such is its 
glorious consummation. And to all his people God 
says, as he said to Daniel, " Go thou thy way till 



CHRISTIAN PROGRESSION. 333 

the end be : for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot 
at the end of the days.'^ Amen, and Amen. 

'' Full of immortal hope, 

We urge the restless strife. 
And hasten to be swallow'd up 
Of everlasting life. 

''Lord, let us put on thee 
In perfect holiness ; 
And rise prepared thy face to see, 
Thy bright, unclouded face. 

" Thy grace with glory crown. 
Who hast the earnest given ; 
And then triumphantly come down, 
And take us up to heaven." 

*' Blessed are they that do his commandments, 
that they may have right to the tree of life, and 
may enter in through the gates into the city.'' 
Amen. 



<i(il-^'i 



